


The State of New York vs. Magnus Bane

by dykeadellic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mentions of incest, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2020-11-06 23:40:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20805629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dykeadellic/pseuds/dykeadellic
Summary: Alec is a hot-shot lawyer, and his newest client is Magnus Bane, accused serial killer. Alec thinks it's just like any other case, until he can't stop wanting Magnus. But did Magnus do it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> “So,” Magnus Bane began, pausing a moment before twiddling his thumbs, “Where is my lawyer?” he glanced over at Lydia, the lawyer’s assistant.

She gave a nervous laugh before she said, “He should be here in just a moment, Mr. Bane. He’s going to come. He is just doing his best to get you out of here and go over a couple of details.”

“Oh, Bane here isn’t leaving,” the detective smirked. “He is going to rot in here for the rest of his life. Or at least in a facility like this. He killed twelve people. He’s going down.”

“Actually,” Alec Lightwood, head of Lightwood and Law, entered the room. “Mr. Bane _is_ going home. He just posted bond. And honestly, Detective, have you seen how flimsy your case is? Just making my job even easier though, so I have to thank you.”

Alec glanced over at the handcuffed man named Magnus Bane. He’d never met the man before, but when one Clary Fray called begging for his help, well, he knew the money would be good. And truthfully their case on Bane was very flimsy. They had nothing but him finding the bodies of the twelve victims, which okay, didn’t look good, but was not proof of a murder.

The detective grimaced. “We’ll process him out. He is going down for this, Lightwood. Mark my words.”

“Helen, you wound me. My success rate is ninety-five percent. How many lawyers do you know that can say the same?” Alec pressed.

Helen rolled her eyes, but she uncuffed Magnus Bane to lead him back to the cell.

“They’ll have you processed out in about twelve hours, tops. We’ll get together to go over the case once you’ve had a good night’s sleep,” Alec promised.

And with that, Helen led Magnus Bane from the room, muttering under her breath about stupid hot shot lawyers and just exactly where they could go. Alec couldn’t stop the smirk that graced his face even if he tried.

~~~

Alec was sitting at his desk at home in his study, Magnus Bane’s file laid out before him. It didn’t look too good, but it also didn’t look damnable. Alec had taken the file home with him so he could enjoy a scotch and take copious notes. He expected to hear from Magnus Bane by tomorrow. For now, it was time to peruse the file.

So what did the file say? Well, Magnus Bane—or whoever the killer was—was a vigilante. Every person killed had been a murderer themselves, a pedophile, a drug dealer, or a rapist. It seemed that justice was sweet and swift. Single gunshot wound to the forehand, which was more than some of them deserved. One of the victims was suspected to have raped a 3-month-old, but they could never find any proof on the man.

Another was a well-known rapist who had got off with probation because—as the judge said—it would ruin his future otherwise. Alec wanted to snort. If you raped someone, you knew you were ruining your own future. Not that Alec really had room to talk. He had fought for rapists before. If the money was good, he’d defend anyone. Part of being a lawyer meant fighting for the innocent and the guilty. You could never tell which you were going to get in this type of business.

So how did Magnus Bane fit into all of this? Well at first, he didn’t. With the first case—Rick Whitfield—he’d called in finding a body. The police questioned him, but they didn’t really give Magnus a second thought. People were finding bodies all the time in New York. A hazard of living in a major city.

Then a second drug dealer—Adrian Ford—had wound up dead, and Magnus had once again called in finding the body. Now, this was where the police started paying him some attention. But there was nothing concrete on him besides the fact that he’d found two dead bodies.

And in ten more killings, and then they found a fiber of his coat on the victim. Which, realistically, could have come from Magnus trying to stop the bleeding, as he’d been on the phone with 911, frantically trying to save the almost dead man. Sadly, he had failed. So here they were, with no leads, no solid motive, and extremely permissible evidence.

But if Magnus Bane wasn’t the killer, it really made one ask themselves a serious question: Why would anyone try to frame Magnus Bane? That is if he was innocent. In order to prove whether Magnus was being frames or not, Alec needed intel. He needed to know everything about Magnus Bane, who his friends and family were, who liked him and disliked him, his daily routine, his living arrangements and so on. 

Alec was no detective, but he sometimes thought he worked harder than those bastards. They uncovered evidence, but Alec was the one who pieced it all together to make a narrative that fit. Alec was the one who—usually—found out the truth before anyone else did, and then kept the person out of prison regardless.

Alec sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was tired. Perhaps a good night’s sleep was what he truly needed, but sleep wasn’t going to pay the bills. Alec had to admit he’d gotten used to a certain lifestyle, and all the crazy sons of bitches out there would pay for him to continue living it.

Alec played with the pen in his hand, taking a closer look at Magnus’ mugshot. He wasn’t too bad to look at. Amber eyes, tan skin, charcoal eyeliner, and so many piercings. Of course, the jail had demanded he take them all out, in case he was going to shank someone with an earring. Alec had to laugh, but he was certain some prison somewhere had seen an earring shank. 

His phone buzzed and it was his sister Izzy calling him to check up on her big brother, of course. Alec smiled fondly as he answered.

“Hey, Iz. How was NA tonight?”

He could practically hear the smile in her voice as she said, “My first sponsee got her one-year clean tag today! Of course, I can’t tell you who, but it was amazing, and I may have cried.”

Alec laughed. “That’s great; you’re doing so well, Iz, I’m really proud of you.”

“Thanks, big brother. So how are you?”

Alec sighed slightly. “All work and no play. Although my newest client is very… attractive. But he’s suspected of twelve murders, so that puts a bit of a damper on things.”

Izzy sucked in her breath.

“Do you think he did it?” she questioned.

“Honestly?” Alec asked, “It seems like a shitty case. The cops have no leads, no evidence, no eyewitnesses. So they take the person who looks like they are being framed and make him the bad guy. But I could be wrong.”

“You rarely are.”

And sure, Iz was right. Alec had a knack for telling who was and wasn’t guilty, and he had the feeling that Magnus Bane was as innocent as they came. Which led back to the question: Who would frame him and why?

So far, what Alec knew of Magnus Bane was that he was a fairly wealthy club owner of the hottest club in New York: Pandemonium. The dingy little club had shut down for a month and reopened as Magnus Bane’s profit monster. People would queue up outside, praying to get in just for one dance. The drugs sold there were said to be top of the line, and the police could never get in to raid the place, as the bouncers seemed to be well versed in undercovers. If you wanted to pop a Molly and dance the night away, Pandemonium was the place to go.

Not that Alec had been any time recently. He’d gone once, but he tended to stay away from clubs, as though their very energy could soak through him and into Izzy. She had been the party girl. Pandemonium had been her playground. But now? Izzy was three years clean, and she tended to stay away from the club scene. She preferred NA functions. Like the prom they just had. She’d gone solo and had a blast from what she told Alec. 

That didn’t mean Alec didn’t want to occasionally drop acid and dance the night away. He just didn’t, because Izzy couldn’t without overdoing it, and Alec didn’t want to tempt her through some telepathic force. So he enjoyed his scotch and kept busy so that they could take trips to the Caribbean when he had off work, which was whenever he wanted, really. Perks of being his own boss.

“Alec? You there?” came Izzy’s voice.

“Yeah, I am. So how’s Mom?”

“She’s good. She’s on all these dating websites, and she just had a date with someone named Luke Garroway. She says it’s still too early to tell, but they text all the time. She seems happy,” Izzy informed him.

“That’s good. I worry about her, but I’ve been so busy with work and everything…”

Iz sighed. “I know. Just… try to come by sometime? Mom would love to see you. We’re all adults and out of the house. She gets lonely I think. Her bookstore is the one thing that motivates her. So just visit,” Iz chided.

Alec nodded and then said, “I will, Iz. Scouts honor.”

“You were never a scout, but okay big brother,” she laughed.

“You know what I mean,” Alec teased.

“That I do. Okay, I have to go. I’m going to be driving. Love you!”

“Love you, too, Iz,” Alec responded.

And with that, they hung up. 

Alec sighed happily. Iz was doing well, and so was his mom. He’d have to drop in on her and visit one of these days. But for now, he picked up the file and started reading through it again, spending another hour making notes before he resigned himself to the fact that he really did need to get some sleep if he wanted to be presentable for his lunch with Mr. Bane tomorrow.

So Alec did his nightly routine; he brewed Sleepytime Tea, brushed his teeth, washed his face, and put on pajamas. He added a little sugar and honey to his tea, letting it cool before he drank it. He set up his Xbox to play meditation music in his bedroom. Then he climbed into his California King size bed and felt sleep overtake him softly.

That night, Alec dreamt of amber eyes with black eyeliner framing them. But when he woke, the dream receded like a wave going back out to the sea, and Alec remembered nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for how long it has been. I am going to school and working hard at it. I plan to update more frequently. This story IS completed! I just have to post it.

Alec woke up to his alarm clock going off at six the next morning. He stretched like a cat and groaned in pleasure from it, before he finally got up, turned off his alarm clock, and went to make himself a cup of coffee. Alec loved his Keurig. He never had anyone over, so he never needed to make a pot of coffee. And while many people might find that depressing, Alec himself was grateful. People were too busy and noseṣy. It was best that his home stay his personal refuge from the world. He’d never even brought a one night stand back to his house, it had always been a motel.

It also meant Alec was free to walk around his home nude in the morning—and the evenings—so that was a nice bonus. Alec wasn’t paranoid, but he didn’t want his address to be too easily found. He represented criminals. Who knew what half these men were capable of? No, it was best if Alec kept his home life a secret. His family knew where he lived, and that was enough for Alec. 

He turned on the morning news, sipping his black coffee and enjoying the rush of energy it gave him. It was peaceful in his house, and the quiet sound of the television was all that he could hear. Alec loved early mornings because of this reason. He could drink coffee, meditate, and get ready for his day. His mother had thought he was rushing into getting a house, but Alec loved his home, and he enjoyed the quiet that came with it. Although, during the summer when the New York weather was nice, Alec would like to have his family over for a pool day, since he had one in his backyard. It was a salt water pool, and he loved it. It felt better than a regular chlorine pool. He’d been turned onto the idea of it by Izzy’s sponsor who had them all over one day back when Iz was on and off the wagon. Alec felt a surge of pride that Iz had indeed made it this far in her recovery.

“We’ve just received word that Magnus Bane, suspect in twelve murder cases, posted bond yesterday and was released in the early hours of this morning. The police have yet to comment, but it is rumored that Lightwood and Law has taken on his case. Back to you, Carl,” the television reporter said.

Alec sighed. He’d known word would get out soon enough, but he had hoped for a little more time to prepare himself—and Magnus—for what was to come. There would be interviews for the media in an effort to garner public sympathy. There would be schedules made for Magnus Bane to follow everyday so he had an alibi in case another body was found. Can’t kill anyone if he doesn’t have time, Alec had said. There would be countless days of writing down everything Magnus could remember about the crime scenes when he stumbled upon them. So much to do, so little time before the trial to do it in.

Alec made toast, checking his cell phone for any texts. So far it was a quiet morning. He didn’t really expect to hear from Magnus Bane until the afternoon, and then they would have to set something up. Maybe meet at a coffee shop or restaurant. Some place neutral to talk about the case. He was sure Magnus would bring this Clary Fray with who had called him. She seemed very bossy and in control. Maybe she was Magnus’ girlfriend.

Alec paused, considering that she could be a character witness if she were his girlfriend. That would actually work out in their favor very well. He headed to the shower, humming under his breath as he stepped under the hot water and felt his muscles relax even more. Showers were peaceful, even if Alec did have to duck his head a bit to wash his hair; cons of being tall.

The morning went off without a hitch. Breakfast was made and ate, the subway was taken, and Alec arrived on time to his job to get started on handing out cases to those who wished to make partner. Test them and see how well they did; that was Alec’s motto. Of course it had been Lydia’s idea, but what wasn’t? She practically ran the day to day operations of the law firm. Or what she could without having passed the bar exam and gone to law school. She handled the books, so they were never kicked out of the office, and money was set aside for the orphans every Christmas. It was a nice arrangement. 

Alec hummed under his breath as he organized everything on his desk for the day, and everything consisted of Magnus Bane’s file, a cup of coffee brought by Lydia, and a Monster Energy drink. Until he heard from Bane he didn’t have much to do. He looked up at Lydia as she deposited the coffee.

“Okay, Mr. Lightwood, Clary Fray called. How does one o’clock here sound? She wanted a public setting that still had very little paparazzi,” Lydia rattled, looking at the notepad in her hands to see what all she needed to relay to her boss.

“One works for me, Lydia. Anything else?” he asked.

“Andrew Underhill just handled the Potter case, and he got a verdict of ‘not guilty.’ I told him you’d want to talk to him, as you did say you wanted to permanently hire whoever won that case.”

“I did say that, but I didn’t expect it to actually happen. I suppose that should be an even bigger reason as to why I hire him,” Alec said with a sigh, and he took a swig of Monster.

“Very well, bring him in,” Alec said, sitting behind his desk and clicking his pen, a habit that annoyed Lydia to no end, which was half the fun for Alec if he was being truthful.

Lydia brought Underhill, who looked extremely nervous, and sat in the seat across from Alec’s desk, bouncing his leg roughly. Truth be told, he was a handsome man, and Alec’s gaydar was on point; this man was into men. But Alec didn’t like mixing work with pleasure, or what have you, and this man wasn’t worth his law firm going down; no matter how good he looked.

“Andrew, Lydia told me you got a verdict of not guilty on the Potter case. How did you manage that?” Alec asked lightly, drumming his fingers on his desk.

“Well, sir, I created a very reasonable doubt. I brought the witnesses reliability into question as well, as she’d admitted to being high st the time. I brought in a doctor who explained that the mix of drugs she was high on could cause hallucinations that seemed very real, but were not in fact real,” Andrew said, sweat beading on his upper lip as he talked to Alec.

“Tell me, Andrew, do you enjoy working for me?” Alec asked.

Andrew looked thunderstruck. “Yes sir, of course I do, sir. This is the best law firm in New York, and it’s certainly the funnest and most challenging.”

Alec nodded, still drumming his fingers before saying, “I’d like to offer you a paid job. I know you’ve just been interning, but we could use a lawyer like you who can win impossible cases if we are going to stay the best firm in New York. Do you accept this position?”

Andrew breathed out a sigh before replying, “Yes, Mr. Lightwood, of course.”

Alec nodded. “I’ll have Lydia draw up a contract. Get with her tomorrow. Take the rest of today off; you’ve earned it.”

Andrew got up and took Alec’s offered hand, stammering, “Th-Thank you, s-sir.”

As he left Alec’s office, Alec realized it was rare he got to deliver good news to interns these days. So many of them didn’t seem capable; but Andrew, as nervous as he was in front of Alec, commanded attention in the courtroom. That was what Alec needed. He needed someone who did the impossible and thought outside of the box. His firm wasn’t number one in New York state because of people who were afraid to take tough cases. His lawyers had daring and nerve, which was essential in their line of business.

The rest of the morning crawled by, and Alec was looking forward to his lunch break when Lydia came into the office, followed by Magnus Bane, who looked stunning in his colorful outfit, and a redhead Alec could only assume was Clary Fray.

“Mr. Bane,” Alec said, standing up to reach over his desk and shake Magnus’ hand, “Delighted to see you. And this is?” he asked, gesturing at the redheaded woman.

“This is a dear friend of mine, Clary Fray. She contacted you about my case,” Magnus said, and Alec nodded.

“I remember. Well, Ms. Fray, it is lovely to finally meet you in person. Sit down. Would you like some water or coffee?” Alec asked.

“I’d like water,” both Magnus and Clary said at the same time, and glanced over at each other, grinning. 

Lydia hurried out of the room to get two cold waters, and Alec continued.

“How long have you two known each other?” he asked, mind forming a plan already.

“Eight years now,” Clary answered and Magnus nodded in agreement.

“Ms. Fray, would you be willing to be a character witness, if needed? We need to set up as many people who have known Mr. Bane for a long time to talk in the courtroom. It looks best if many people are testifying that they know Mr. Bane, and he would never do something like this,” Alec explained.

Clary nodded, “Of course. And there’s Magnus’ roommate, Raphael Santiago, who has known Magnus since they were kids. Oh! And Catarina Loss who has known him since they were teenagers,” Clary rambled on, clearly trying to help.

“I don’t want to drag anyone into this,” Magnus protested.

“It’s about either going free,” Alec said, “Or spending the rest of your life in prison. You are accused of twelve murders. To be quite frank, the death penalty is on the table. So are you sure you don’t want your friends’ help?”

Magnus went still, dropped his head slightly, and sighed. “Of course I want their help. I just don’t want their reputations ruined is all.”

“Let me worry about that, Mr. Bane. I’m the best at what I do for a reason,” Alec explained patiently.

Magnus nodded. “Of course, you’re right. I trust your judgment. And please, call me Magnus,” the amber eyed man said.

“Of course, Magnus. Now this is going to seem a lot like detective work, but it’s best that we go over every detail of what you were doing the nights these killings occurred. If you can remember. And excellent job not speaking to the cops. This way you didn’t implicate yourself unknowingly. It also means that the police have less to work with, and we’re damn sure going to make their jobs harder,” Alec explained. 

“Well,” Clary interjected, “a lot of those nights he was with me at Pandemonium. I work nights there, and do my art gallery during the day. If they have a time of death, maybe I’m an alibi?” 

She sounded hesitant, like she wasn’t sure exactly what she was talking about, but was trying to help all the same.

“Actually,” Alec said, “That’s excellent for our case. If he was with you the time some of the murders occurred, then he looks less suspicious for the rest of the murders.”

Clary looked pleased that she could help in this small way, and Alec meant what he said; if Magnus hadn’t committed all of these murders, then he didn’t fit the profile of the serial killer they were looking for and was a complete victim.

“I’ll also need to know about any enemies. It seems to me Magnus here is being framed. So I need to know about anyone who might hold a grudge against you, Magnus,” Alec explained, leaning back in his seat as Lydia walked slowly into the room carrying two water bottles and looking at Alec expectantly.

“Yes, Lydia?” Alec asked.

“Jace is here, and he is threatening to barge into the office to speak with you,” she said briskly.

Alec sighed. “Tell him I said wait, I’ll be out in a few. I’d prefer he not barge in to drag me to a lunch date. Order delivery. Let him pick wherever he wants, and I’ll eat with him as soon as I’m done here,” Alec commanded, and Lydia nodded before exiting the room.

“Boyfriend?” Magnus asked casually.

“No, my brother. Adopted brother, but he is still my brother. We have weekly lunches together. Jace works as a bodyguard for some CW actor. So when he has time off, he and I get together,” Alec explained.

“That’s so sweet,” Clary commented. “My brother and I live together. We lost mom and dad in a car crash, and ever since we’ve been on our own with each other to look after. I was sixteen when my parents died, and he was nineteen. My mom’s longtime boyfriend, Luke, got custody of me, and took Jonathan in, too.”

Jace barged into the office, looking angrier than normal. 

“Really, Jace?” Alec asked, his eyes on his brother in a clear ‘what the fuck’ expression.

“Lydia didn’t tell you? Dad was in a car crash,” Jace said breathlessly.

Clary’s eyes were glued to Jace, her face slightly flushed. And as if he could feel her gaze, Jace turned and locked eyes with her, mouth opening slightly in stunned silence. Looking back, Alec would claim that was the moment he knew the two had something special. There was a spark there. But in reality, Alec was more concerned with his father’s health.

“Is he okay?” Alec asked quickly, and Jace didn’t take his eyes off Clary as he said, “He’s bruised up, but thankfully okay. I just thought you should know. Izzy is already on her way to the hospital, since I figured you might not be able to get off work.”

Jace glanced at Alec and then turned his body towards Clary.

“Hi, I’m Jace Lightwood, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said smiling and extending his hand. 

Clary flushed again and shook it as she said, “Clary Fray. I hope your dad is okay.”

Jace seemed to grow solemn as he said, “As do I, but my dad is tough. Our sister told me that he isn’t too badly injured. But of course I had to tell my brother, and Lydia is horrid at delivering urgent messages.”

“I’ll speak to her, Jace. Now would you mind leaving the room so I can finish up here and we can go to the hospital together?” Alec asked.

“Of course, sorry to have bothered you. I hope to see you again, Clary,” Jace said, shooting her a grin and then turning to leave the room. Clary had a rather pleased look on her face as he walked out the door, and her eyes followed him until he was out of sight in the office.

“Is there any way we can pick this up tomorrow? Say around ten in the morning?” Alec asked.

Magnus nodded. “Of course. Is there anything you need me to do before then?”

Alec nodded as he said, “Sit down with Clary and work on the times you were together, when you parted, and what exactly you did after parting. And of course a list of anyone who might want to jeopardize your image.”

“Of course,” Magnus said, rising from his seat. Clary followed suit, “I hope everything with your dad is okay,” he said softly.

“Thank you, Magnus. I’m just sorry it had to interrupt our time. But tomorrow, ten in the morning. We’ll get to cracking on the case,” Alec said, as he walked the two to the front of the office, Clary looking around to see if she could spot Jace.

Once they had left, Alec stormed over to Lydia, throwing her office door open as he demanded, “What the fuck, Lydia?!”

She gulped nervously.


	3. Chapter 3

Alec sat in Jace’s car, anxiously shaking his leg, hoping to every deity out there that Izzy was right and their dad was okay. Though he did figure that if their mom hadn’t gone up there to see her ex-husband, he must be okay. Still, it was jarring on his nerves that an accident had even happened to his father. He’d always been such a defensive driver.

“Dude, did you see Clary?” Jace asked suddenly.

Alec stared bewildered at his brother. “She was in my office, so yes, I did see her, thanks much,” Alec grumpily said.

“Oh come on, man, you know what I mean. She is gorgeous! Even your gay ass can appreciate beauty, right?” Jace said grinning.

Alec sat up straighter. “Jace, you’ve never called a woman beautiful before. It’s always been hot or sexy.”

Jace shrugged as he navigated the traffic. “Times change, brother. She was stunning. Too bad she’s your client or I’d ask her out on a date.”

Alec stared bewildered at his brother. A date? Alec couldn’t even remember the last time Jace had been on a date. He was more of a “wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am” kind of guy. He’d always claimed relationships were for other people, and he’d never be caught dead in one.

As Alec pondered this, Jace parked the car in the hospital parking garage and got out. Alec hurried after him. He figured he’d grill Jace on this development later. Dad was more important at the moment.

The hospital was huge, and they had to stop and ask someone for directions, but eventually, they found their dad’s room and went in. Izzy was sitting next to the bed, laughing at something Robert Lightwood had said, and he was grinning to beat the band. Alec surmised that this must mean he wasn’t injured too badly.

“My boys!” Robert exclaimed, looking slightly high off whatever pain meds they gave him.

Jace approached the bed first, lightly hugging their dad. Then Alec was next. Dad looked so pleased to see them.

“How are you feeling?” Alec asked.

Dad shrugged. “I’ve got one hell of whiplash, and the car is totaled; I’m just fine though. Walked away with only a few bruises and some pain in my leg. Car that hit me ran a red light and t-boned me.” Their dad shook his head as if to say, “Bad drivers, am I right?”

“Have the doctors done any tests yet, just to be sure?” Jace jumped in.

“They’ve so far done an x-ray, and we’re waiting on the results,” Izzy chimed in. “It should be only a few more minutes until we get them.”

Alec sat down in the chair next to Izzy, and Jace took the chair closest to their dad. 

“Well, we’re here now. Have you called the insurance company, or did you need me to take care of it?” Alec asked crisply, slipping into lawyer mode easily. 

Robert shrugged as he said, “I’ve been too medicated to call them, as I couldn’t relax at first. But you can definitely do it, son.”

“But let’s get the results first,” Jace chimed in.

“Agreed. That way we can present everything to the insurance company all at once. I’ll handle everything, Dad,” Alec assured. 

Their dad smiled and said, “That’s my boy! I knew having a lawyer in the family would come in handy one day!” and then he laughed.

The doctor came in at that moment and smiled at them all. “Look at your children here, Robert! That’s so nice!”

“Is he okay?” Alec blurted out.

“Your father is one lucky man. No broken bones, no fractures, just a bad case of whiplash. If one of you can take him home, I’ll send in a prescription to his pharmacy for pain meds,” the doctor told them.

Jace burst out with, “I’ll do it,” and Alec knew why. Izzy was a heroin addict, and if she was in the presence of pain pills it could mean her recovery.

“Iz can take me home if that’s alright?” Alec asked and Izzy nodded. 

“Good, I’ll send the prescription over and have a nurse come back with release papers,” the doctor said and walked out.

Alec felt a sense of relief; Dad was fine. Whiplash, though painful, was nothing compared to what could have been. As Izzy and he walked to her car, Jace saying he’d take care of dad, Alec felt like he could breathe again.

“I was so scared,” he finally admitted to Iz when they were in the car.

She nodded, “I was, too. But he’s okay, that’s the main thing,” she reassured him.

Alec let out a deep sigh, feeling mentally drained. Then he remembered.

“Jace wants to take my client’s friend out for a date,” he informed Iz, whose eyebrows shot up.

“Like… a real date?” Iz questioned.

“I think so. He called her beautiful. She’s a redhead, which is usually not his thing, but maybe she can keep him on a tight leash. She seemed to be into him when he came into the office. I just don’t know how to go about setting them up. Since she isn’t actually my client, it wouldn’t be bad. I just don’t want to see him get hurt,” Alec confessed as Iz drove.

“I don’t either. He’s already so jaded and cynical from the abuse his father inflicted on him. Do you remember how scared that we were all going to abandon him he was when he came to live with us? Look, I’ll think of how best to set this up. Don’t worry, Alec, I got this,” Izzy reassured him.

And if Izzy said she had this, the queen of matchmakers, then Jace was definitely in very good hands.

~~~

Alec was floating in his pool, Bluetooth speaker connected to his phone. He didn’t really have anything left to do today, and he’d have his meeting with Magnus tomorrow.

The plan was thus: Since Clary would most likely come with Magnus, Jace would be there, and Alec would ask for alone time with Magnus. 

“Let things happen naturally,” Izzy had said, and this sure as hell sounded natural to Alec.

Alec enjoyed his pool. It was relaxing. He supposed he could hit the home gym, but after everything with his dad, he was so damn drained. He’d do it tomorrow. Alec did like to keep in shape, despite his long hours at the office. He’d never had a man complain about his physique before.

Alec’s mind kept flitting back to Magnus Bane. He had the most beautiful amber eyes Alec had ever seen before. He knew that if he met this man on the street, he would for damn sure introduce himself. He was handsome, tall (but not taller than Alec), and had a mean sense of style. He was definitely Alec’s type. But as Alec kept reminding himself, Magnus was his client. However, once Alec got him off, if the other man was single, well whatever happened happened.

Alec stared at the sky as he floated on his little inflatable lounge, wondering if he could get Magnus off. But he knew the answer already; he could indeed. Alec was the best lawyer in all of New York. If anyone could do it, it was him. Anywhere else, Magnus’ chance decreased.

And Alec was proud of being the best lawyer in New York. He was only thirty-five, and he already had his own law firm, tons of won cases, and plenty of other amazing lawyers working for him. If anything, Alec felt his career was one big, never-ending arch. He was the best, and he was damn sure going to stay the best no matter what it meant.

Alec sighed contentedly, then decided he needed to get out of his pool before he fell asleep in there. He immediately hopped in the shower to clean off from what little saltwater he’d encountered. And if he jerked his dick lazily in the shower, thinking about Magnus Bane, well… that was no one’s business but his own.


	4. Chapter 4

Jace was standing in Alec’s office, posted up on the wall behind Alec as he asked Alec for what had to be the hundredth time, “Are we sure this is going to work?”

Alec sighed. He loved his brother so damn much, but sometimes Jace could be very difficult to deal with. Like now. Alec had never before seen Jace this invested in a woman, and he reminded himself of that as he, once again, answered Jace.

“No, we aren’t. But if you both like each other it should work. Wouldn’t you rather try than regret not trying?” Alec asked.

Jace sighed. “You’re right. Okay so what do I say?”

Alec turned around and looked at Jace bewildered. “Dude, you know how to talk to women.”

“Not ones as beautiful as Clary,” Jace pointed out. 

And it was so strange to hear his brother call a woman beautiful. He had no idea what Jace saw in Clary, he only hoped she would agree to go on a date with Jace. He couldn’t imagine how upset Jace would be if she turned him down.

There was a rap on the door, and Lydia walked in escorting Magnus and—thankfully—Clary. Clary seemed to light up as soon as she saw Jace.

“Actually,” Alec began, “I’d like to talk to Magnus alone for a few minutes. Lydia, take Jace and Clary to get water, coffee, whatever they want.”

Lydia looked slightly taken aback, but she did what she was told. As the door closed behind Jace and Clary, Magnus let out a small chuckle.

“Trying to play matchmaker, much, Alexander?” Magnus asked.

“My brother has never, ever called a woman beautiful before until he saw Clary yesterday. I have to give him a shot, right?” Alec grinned at Magnus.

“So did you really need to talk to me alone at all?” Magnus questioned.

“Actually,” Alec began, “I do. I know Clary is a close friend, but I need to know things you might not want her to know.”

Magnus furrowed his brow and nodded.

“I need to know if you have any enemies for… anything. Work nemesis, bitter ex, all that. It seems that you are being framed by someone you know, as they know your habits well enough to know when you will stumble upon a body. Can you think of anyone like that?” Alec asked, pen poised above a notebook.

Magnus thought a moment before saying, “Well my most recent ex, Camille, thought she was going to be a partner in owning my club, but I can’t imagine even she would do this to me. Although she can be a bit heartless. Since her, I haven’t dated anyone, man or woman.”

Alec wrote, pen scratching lightly on the paper.

“What about any unhappy employees?” Alec prompted. 

Magnus shook his head. “My employees are well paid, waitressing starting at 15 an hour plus tips. They all have at _least_ a week vacation by the end of their first year. I also supply benefits such as health insurance, dental, and vision included. I know that by keeping my employees happy, they will be more productive. And more likely to spread a good word about Pandemonium,” Magnus explained.

Alec thought this was rather clever. He’d seen businesses thrive off paying their workers well and including benefits. Target had just gone up to thirteen dollars an hour for part-time cashiers, and was rumored to be going up to fifteen an hour next year.

“Pandemonium is known for it’s high drug trade. Any dealers who might be mad?” Alec asked, not sure if this was the best way to go about asking this.

“No. They are always paid upfront for what we do get, and no known addicts are allowed in so as not to jeopardize their recovery. Strictly recreational use only,” Magnus explained. 

“So if I were to tell you my sister is in recovery…” Alec began, not sure how to go about this.

“She would be put on the list of people not allowed into Pandemonium. She would not be told why or anything about who might’ve let anything slip on her. How far along in her recovery is she?” Magnus said sounding genuinely curious.

“Three years. She used to go to Pandemonium every week on her off days when it was bad. She’s doing great though. I’m extremely proud of her,” Alec said practically swelling with pride.

“That’s amazing. I would be more than happy to make sure she gets put on the list for people not allowed to enter. Better safe than sorry, right?” Magnus said and Alec nodded before he remembered what they were there for.

“So since we can’t figure out enemies, I’d like to talk to everyone close to you so we can get character witnesses,” Alec explained.

Magnus sighed but nodded, pulling out a piece of paper.

“I wrote down the names of everyone in my inner circle, as I suspected you might need to do something like this. There’s quite a few on there.”

Alec nodded as he perused the paper, his eyes lighting on Luke Garroway.

“My mom is seeing a Luke Garroway. I wonder if it’s the same one…” he mused aloud, forgetting for a moment that Magnus was still seated directly across from him. 

“What’s her first name?” Magnus asked.

And without thinking that this man was accused of twelve murders, Alec said, “Maryse.”

There was complete silence for a moment, Alec realizing what he had just done when Magnus said, “It seems six degrees of separation is true. Your mom is dating Clary’s adopted father.”

Alec was shocked. Although this definitely didn’t affect his working relationship with Magnus, it _could_ affect Clary’s relationship with Jace. Whatever they were going to be. If anything. But hopefully…

“Can we allow them back in now?” Magnus asked curiously.

“I don’t know… are they done talking?” Alec asked curiously.

“One way to find out,” Magnus said as he opened the door to Alec’s office and called out, “Biscuit!”

Alec thought that a rather strange term of endearment, but Clary appeared quickly, smiling and followed by Jace, who was also smiling. This had to be a good sign.

“So,” Alec began, “is it okay if Jace is here for this? Because I can send him out of the room if you need me to do so.”

“Actually, Jace and I, well Jace really, it was his idea and it’s absolutely brilliant. Anyways,” Clary seemed slightly flustered but continued on, “What if Jace was Magnus’ personal bodyguard? He’d be there as an eyewitness just in case another body turns up.”

Alec opened his mouth to respond, realized he had nothing to say, and closed it. He repeated this a few times, not sure what to say. This could be a great idea or a really terrible one with devastating consequences. What those consequences could be, Alec couldn’t say at the moment, but he sensed there were some.

Before either Alec or Magnus had responded, Jace said, “We’re running to Starbucks. You two can figure it out and let me know.”

And just like that, Clary and Jace left the office, leaving a bewildered Alec in their wake.

~~~

“I can pay for my own drink,” Clary said as Jace pulled out his wallet.

“I don’t doubt you can, but I’d love it if you let me pay… Please,” he added as an afterthought, and it was this please that inclined Clary to agree.

Jace took their drinks to a table outside, and they both sat down.

“So, what do you do?” Jace asked, not really sure how to go about this. He had never had to get to know someone before. It felt rather awkward.

“I run my own gallery. I went to the Brooklyn Academy of Arts. I also work at Pandemonium some nights. I guess I am to Magnus what Lydia is to Alec,” Clary said, and took a swallow of her soy raspberry… something.

“Do you draw, paint, or what? I admit I don’t know much about art. My younger brother is the comic book artist in the family. But he sells well, and I’ve read some of them. Boy are they good,” Jace said.

Clary gave a laugh. “I do the standard decorative landscapes. But actually, my best friend Simon and I are publishing a graphic novel together this year. We’ve been working on it since we were kids, and we finally have most of it done.”

Jace nodded. “That’s so cool. I can’t draw for shit. I’m the brute force of the family I suppose,” he joked. 

“Alec said you were adopted?” Clary asked lightly. Jace nodded.

“My father died of a heart attack when I was ten. Maryse and Robert Lightwood were my godparents, and they didn’t hesitate in taking me in and getting all the paperwork done so I was officially theirs. It wasn’t weird, since we saw then every other weekend. We were all already like a family. It just made sense. But Maryse—Mom these days—made sure I got to keep things of sentimental value. Pictures, books, some furniture. She put the furniture in a storage room until I had my own apartment to set it up in. And they were grieving too, so they understood my pain.”

Clary nodded. “I lost my mom and dad when I was sixteen. It’s kind of a crazy story, actually,” Clary said, looking down at the scone.

“I don’t want to push you, but if you would like to talk about it, I’d like to listen,” Jace said softly, studying the redhead’s face.

Clary nodded and then looked up at Jace. “My parents had my older brother—Jonathan—and then two years eight months later they had me. But they weren’t happy together. My father was abusive, and he raised Jonathan. Jonathan has tons of issues behind it. But Luke was my dad’s best friend. And when he saw my dad changing, he stepped in to protect my mom and me. Luke and my mom—Jocelyn—fell in love. Luke lived with us, and is my dad in every way except by blood. But eventually he proposed to my mom, and she said yes.”

Clary sighed before plowing on somewhat shakily. “My birth father and my mom were on their way to the courthouse to get their divorce finalized, so that my mom _could_ marry Luke, and we’d be one happy family. Luke and Jonathan were waiting at my mom’s apartment with me. Jonathan moved in with us the day he turned eighteen. Anyways… there was a drunk driver who hit my parents head on. My mom died instantly. I suppose I should be grateful she didn’t suffer. My father did, but after what he’d done to my brother, I couldn’t find it in me to care.”

Jace nodded, absorbing her words.

“Luke had his own farm in upstate New York. He hired a lawyer, got me, and told Jonathan to come with if he wanted. And he took care of both of us. Made Jonathan get a part time job and go to school. Helped me apply to the Brooklyn Academy of Arts. He has been my father in every way. I even hoped for awhile when I was younger that he was secretly my dad, but I’m very white and he is black. But to me, he’s as good as my dad.”

“I can definitely understand that,” Jace said, and Clary gave him a soft smile.

“So how did you get into being a bodyguard?” Clary asked him curiously.

Jace shrugged. “I was a football player in highschool, and it wasn’t really my thing. I just like working out, and being a bodyguard allows me to do that while helping someone else. I just love spending time in the gym, working out and pushing my body to new extremes. I was a personal trainer for a few years, then I was offered a position to be a bodyguard by one of my clients and it snowballed from there.”

“I knew you were in shape, but damn,” Clary chuckled. 

Jace laughed. “Yeah, it’s my thing. Alec works out enough, but I guess I tend to over do it.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Clary said eyeing his biceps.

Jace opened his mouth, about to say something when his cellphone rang; Alec was calling.

“Hold on, beautiful, it’s Alec,” he said and answered the phone. “Yes?”

There was a sigh on the other end and then Alec said, “When can you start working for Magnus?”

“Today. I’m tired of guarding a sexist dick who doesn’t deserve protection,” Jace answered.

“Then come back to the office; we’re drafting up a contract for you,” Alec said before hanging up.

“Guess I’ll be seeing more of you, Clary. I’m working for Magnus now.”

And Clary’s smile was dazzling.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this, PLEASE leave a comment! I am going to try and update weekly, depending on school and real life stuff!

Clary, Jace, Magnus, and Luke were standing in Luke’s apartment. Luke appeared to be trying to process exactly what Magnus was saying, while Jace silently shook with laughter.

“So I’m dating _his_ mom, and she’s also your lawyers’ mom?” Luke finally asked. 

“Yes,” Magnus and Jace said at the same time.

“Okay, that’s weird, but I’m telling you all now that I am _not_ going to stop seeing Maryse. I happen to like her quite a bit,” Luke said.

“Dad,” Clary said, “No one expects you to stop seeing her. We just wanted you to have a heads up so if Alec tells her you don’t look dramatically misinformed on the subject.”

Luke sighed and rubbed his beard, shaking his head as he looked at Clary with slight amusement. Jace was stunned by how close Clary and Luke were. But Clary had said Luke was as good as her dad, and Jace knew Robert was his, so it shouldn’t have surprised him.

Jace was hoping to meet Jonathan, but he was still at work or busy doing something, Jace couldn’t quite remember which. He wasn’t too worried about it, but it was interesting to meet Luke after his first date with Clary at Starbucks. But had that really been a first date? Jace knew until this case with Magnus was done, he wasn’t going to have any alone time. But the money was really good, and it would set Jace up for a bit; he couldn’t really complain. 

Magnus had already said Jace could take the guest room in Magnus’ apartment. With everything going on, sleeping at Magnus’ house would just be easier. Jace knew it only took one minute of Magnus being alone to be framed again. He _knew_ Magnus was being framed because anyone who cared so much about Clary couldn’t possibly have done something so heinous. 

Clary was everything Jace felt he was not, and also some things he was certain he was. She—like him—was loyal; the true definition of a ride or die. She would stand by her friends and family until the end, as she was proving with Magnus at this very moment.

Clary was gorgeous. Her wavy, red hair was stunning, and it framed those bright green eyes even better. Her face was smooth and glowing, and she was so energetic that she couldn’t seem to stand still, shifting around from side to side every few seconds.

Clary was everything Jace would have asked for in a woman if he’d only known what he was searching for. And here she was, standing next to him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder as she talked to her family. It was enough to make Jace want to kiss her right then and there. But he would refrain from doing so because, while he knew he could take Luke, he didn’t want to have to do so. Besides, he was sure it would make Clary mad; something Jace definitely didn’t want to do.

Jace tuned back into the conversation in time to hear Luke say, “Well, it’s good to meet one of her kids. It’s a pleasure, Jace,” and Luke stuck out his hand.

Jace grasped it, slightly surprised at the strength behind the handshake. Luke was tougher than he looked, but he was a detective, according to a badge on his belt. 

“Well, I can’t seem to get my hands onto the crime scene photos yet, and they haven’t released them to the lawyer or prosecutor. So for now, Magnus, we wait. But Lightwood and Law is the best money can buy. I truly believe Mr. Lightwood will get you off, and hopefully soon,” Luke said.

“I am confident in Alexander. He does have quite the reputation for impossible cases. Now if it were only as easy as dismissing a speeding ticket,” Magnus quipped. 

Luke and Clary chuckled, a smile gracing Clary’s face that made Jace think of a sunrise he’d seen in London with his siblings. It was beautiful, poised, and even graceful.

“Son,” Luke said as he looked directly at Jace, “You’re going to want to pick your jaw up off the floor.”

And of course they all laughed. Jace supposed he was being a bit obvious, but how could he not with this beauty next to him?

“Well, I just came by to tell you that, Luke. We have to pop on over to Jace’s apartment to get him some clothes and get him settled over at my place. Biscuit, I’ll see you tonight?” Magnus asked.

Clary nodded and said, “Please get some sleep, Magnus. I know your internal clock is all wonky now, but try for me.”

She hugged Magnus, and the two groups separated. 

~~~

Jace was quick at packing a duffel bag, grabbing his laptop to take with as well. This wasn’t his first time staying with someone to guard them, but it certainly was going to be the most challenging. Jace wouldn’t be able to have so much as a beer while he was with Magnus. This way no one could say he was inebriated and therefore seeing things. Or unable to recall them correctly. And Magnus spent most nights at his club, so he foresaw this as being a bummer. But he would get to see Clary tonight, so it wasn’t all bad.

Magnus’ apartment was huge, which really shouldn’t have surprised Jace as much as it did. Magnus was a wealthy man. From what Jace understood of what Magnus had said, he’d earned a huge inheritance when his father died, and had only spent about a quarter of it making Pandemonium into the beast that it was. 

Magnus’ roommate was a nice man. He had greeted Jace cordially, telling Jace his name was Raphael, and he was grateful Jace was doing this for Magnus.

“I just want to help in whatever way I can,” Jace had said, and Raphael smiled before leaving for the Catholic Church. Was it Mass today? Jace didn’t really know much about Catholicism at all, but Raphael seemed like a good dude, even if Jace was against most organized religions.

Magnus showed Jace into his room while saying, “The sheets are freshly washed. We wash them once a week so they are fresh for whomever may come over. You have a TV in this room, and we do have cable and On Demand. You also have a bathroom attached to this room, just through that door behind you… yes that one. So you will have a modicum of privacy when you need it. I am going to try and sleep, is there anything you need before five p.m.?”

“Eventually we will need to set up cameras, but sleep sounds too good right now. I’ll go over everything with you when you wake up,” Jace stated.

Magnus nodded. “Fridge and pantry are full, so if you get hungry help yourself to whatever you want. Good night, well, afternoon, Jace,” and with that Magnus had departed.

Jace went to check out his bathroom and _holy shit_ it was HUGE. He had a sink with a counter extending to the right for a few feet. There were fluffy white towels hanging up on the towel rack. The shower curtain had a sunset on it, and the mats beneath his feet all matched the colors of the sunset. It was beautiful. There was even a caged plant hanging from the ceiling. Jace loved the feel of it.

His room was just as nice. King sized bed, dresser directly in front of it, against the wall with a tv on it. Tan sheets and comforter on the bed. He plopped down on the bed, kicking his shoes off. It was extremely comfortable, and Jace spent a while tracing the metal of the headboard with his fingers before he fell asleep, fully clothed, and thinking of Clary.

He awoke at five to Magnus tapping on his door, telling him they needed to get ready for the club, and Magnus had a few stops along the way.

Jace stretched out, enjoying the feel of straining his muscles, before he got up and followed Magnus into the kitchen. There was ample counter space, stainless steel appliances, and a cute Keurig like Alec had. All in all, it was a very nice apartment. As big as a one story house, really.

“Any food allergies?” Magnus asked, whipping around the kitchen in his red satin robe.

“No, and I’ll eat anything but my sister’s cooking. Her dog won’t even eat her food,” Jace said with a fond smile.

Magnus laughed and said, “Good to know. It’s my breakfast time, so do pancakes sound good?”

Jace nodded enthusiastically. “Pancakes sound amazing.”

“So,” Magnus began as he got everything needed for pancakes out, “What is this about cameras? You mentioned it before we went to sleep.”

Jace nodded. “So just a camera to record whoever enters and exits the house. If you enter it, but don’t leave on the night a murder takes place, plus have my alibi, it looks so much better for your case. And who knows, we might get a glimpse of the vigilante in the process. We need to make it inconspicuous though. That way if the real killer does show up, he or she won’t know there is a camera set up to record them.”

“Okay,” Magnus said while whisking the pancake mix and eggs, “Well I’ll tell Raphael-”

“No,” Jace cut in. “It’s better if you don’t. Someone is trying to frame you. Right now you have to consider everyone a suspect or at least an accomplice of the murderer. The less people who know everything, the better.”

Magnus sighed but nodded his head as he poured pancake batter onto the freshly buttered griddle.

“I’m sorry, Magnus,” Jace began softly, “I can’t imagine having to be wary of my inner circle. It’s a terrible prospect. But I will do my best to make sure that no matter when or where you have me as an alibi. I just need your patience in dealing with this.”

Magnus sighed as he flipped the pancakes. “I know, Jace, it’s nothing against you. But you are right; it is a terrible prospect that someone I care for could be doing this to me. My inner circle is close to me, and the betrayal of any of them doing this would be earth shattering.”

Jace nodded. He could easily understand that. After all, Jace had Izzy and Alec. Max was so much younger that it was difficult to really bond with him, and his interests were vastly different from his older siblings. To be betrayed by Alec or Izzy would absolutely break Jace’s heart into pieces.

“Maybe, hopefully, it’s just someone who stalked you long enough to know your routine. That way this isn’t someone you know betraying your trust. Obviously,” Jace said quickly at the look on Magnus’ face, “It still isn’t a good thing. But it’s better than the alternative. And if it’s some stalker, I am good at picking them out. Spidey senses.”

Magnus chuckled as he plated three pancakes for Jace and him and asked Jace if he wanted orange juice.

“Please,” Jace said kindly, and they sat down at the table and ate. Magnus was funny, and he certainly had a lot of questions about Alec. 

“It’s been awhile since my brother has had a boyfriend. And there has certainly NEVER been a one-night stand or even possible date over at his house. Dude’s closed off. But he has a heart of gold. Like, I don’t know if you know this, but he donates money to orphanages every year around Christmas. And he goes to a different one every year around Christmas and gets each child something. Dude would kill to have a family one day,” Jace said around a mouthful of amazing pancakes and syrup. 

“He’s quite beautiful,” Magnus said gently, looking slightly thoughtful.

Jace shrugged. “He never had a lack of boyfriends. Mom was pissed though when she found out he was gay. Then, the very next day after she’d screamed, ‘No son of mine will be gay!’ Alec was caught in a five car pile up. Dead center. Mom came rushing to the hospital, and she told him ‘I’d rather have a gay son than a dead one. Please forgive me,’ and ever since she’s been one of his biggest supporters.”

Magnus’ eyebrows shot up. “Oh, wow. That’s insane, but I’m glad Alexander is okay, and your mother saw sense. It can be hard for parents to accept. I know my dad wasn’t too thrilled, but he was never father of the year. Always a part of the cartel. I left the day I turned sixteen, and he died shortly after, leaving everything to me. I took the money, sold the house, and took what few pictures he had of my mom. I was done with it. As far as I know, no one who knew him knew he even had a son. I was home-schooled and restricted to the basement.”

“Where was your mom?” Jace asked.

“She committed suicide when I was eight. She was schizophrenic, and had a lot of trouble telling reality and fantasy apart. But she was a good woman. Since then, I’ve built my own family,” Magnus explained, and Jace wondered if licking the plate would be a little weird.

“I feel ya. My dad was super abusive. But when he died, I ended up with the best family ever, so no complaints on my end. So what do I wear to the club to fit in?” Jace asked.

“Tank top, that leather jacket you had on earlier, and a pair of jeans will be fine. We get all kinds at Pandemonium. Goths, cyberpunks, rockers, bad boys, stoners, everything you can imagine we have, so there’s really no wrong way to dress,” Magnus told him.

Jace was certain he was in for a very interesting night.


	6. Chapter 6

It was eight o’clock in the evening, and Clary was making sure every register had change, all the card readers were in working order, Simon was the DJ for the night, so he was working on the club’s sound system, and Magnus would be showing up with Jace shortly.

Jace. Now there was an interesting topic. He was attractive, yes, and most definitely a charmer. Clary felt a pull towards him, and she wasn’t sure why. Which was dangerous. Boyfriends had never lasted long once they met Jonathan. He was very… protective of her. No one was good enough. He wanted her to have the best or nothing less. Which in some ways was understandable, but truly, if she couldn’t get past the third date, how would she get to know any guy well enough to know how he’d treat her?

No, Clary wasn’t going to introduce Jace to Jonathan as anything more than Magnus’ bodyguard, and she sincerely hoped Jace wouldn’t be offended by that. She just wanted to keep what they had quiet until she knew whether or not she wanted to keep him around. And if she did? Well, Jonathan would just have to get used to it. Luke seemed to think Jace wasn’t too bad.

“Boy looks at you like you might be the answer to the question of life,” Luke said once, half approving half exasperated.

“Clary,” Jonathan’s voice interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see her brother with his bleached hair. It was weird how blond seemed to fit him so well, where she was sure she wouldn’t be able to pull it off.

“Yes?” Clary asked.

“You were deep in thought; what’s wrong?”

Clary gave her brother a small smile. She wasn’t good at hiding anything from him. He knew her better than he knew the back of his hand. While some felt that disconcerting, Clary found it reassuring. The world could burn to ashes, and Jonathan would be there to help her rebuild.

“I was just thinking about Magnus’ situation. He hired a bodyguard, you know. I just wish whoever was doing this would stop. He’s a good guy. He doesn’t deserve this pain. None of us do,” Clary told her brother.

Jonathan nodded. “I agree. But the truth will prevail, I am certain of it. Magnus is here, by the way. I just met his bodyguard, Jay or something. He wants you there for a meeting. Workers only, so I guess I’m not allowed in,” he grimaced. 

“Come on, Jonathan, don’t be like that. You wanted to work a desk job instead of here at the club. And that’s totally fine. But this job allows me to paint and pay rent. I’ll see you in a few, okay?” Clary asked, smiling at her brother who ended up grinning back, before she walked to the back of the club and took the staff elevator to Magnus’ office. 

Jace was standing behind Magnus who was seated at his desk. Jace looked like a complete bad boy in his leather jacket. Magnus had Simon in there as well.

“Okay, so tomorrow we will be closed to add additional security cameras,” Magnus began. “No one will be told where they are aside from Jace and I. In order to view these cameras you have to have my login, which no one does. Simon, you’ll tell the clubbers Pandemonium will be out of commission tomorrow. Clary, I just thought you deserved to know. Remember, anyone and everyone is a suspect. The bouncers have all been told to report anything outside the norm to me. If something feels wrong, I want to know. Other than that, let’s have a great night.”

Jace walked up to Clary with a smile, and she couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hey,” he said in that deep, sexy voice.

“Hey. So my brother is here tonight, and he is crazy protective, so… we don’t know each other aside from you being Magnus’ body guard if that is okay?” Clary asked unsure.

Jace nodded. “I got it. Not a problem. It’s nice to meet you, Clary Fray,” Jace said with an amused smile.

Clary smiled back, “You too, Jace Lightwood.”

Magnus cleared his throat, as Clary and Jace were just standing there staring at each other.

“Right, back to opening,” Clary said rather flustered, and went about her business. She needed to make sure the alcohol supply was well stocked on the counters, and if not? Then Clary would get Jonathan to bring more bottles up from the store room. He might not work there, but as he was given VIP passage, Clary always figured he could help make her life easier.

She got back to the main floor, grabbed her brother’s hand, and pulled him with her. Jonathan was clearly very used to this and just followed his sister, not once complaining about the intimacy of hand holding. Clary knew others might not understand, but Clary could remember the one time she spent the night with Valentine and Jonathan. Valentine backed her into a corner, was balling his fist, and Jonathan came out of nowhere. He punched their father, who wasn’t expecting it and went sprawling. Jonathan had kicked him unconscious and took Clary to their mother, holding her the whole taxi ride there, reassuring her, and just holding her. Clary knew Jonathan eventually paid for it, but he did it willingly to save her, and Clary would never forget how brave her brother was when it came to her.

And this? This was why she understood him being overprotective. He had grown up with the devil, all so Valentine couldn’t hurt Clary, as he promised their mother he would kill Clary if Jocelyn tried to take Jonathan. Her brother had been there for her, as much as he could. And when they both had cell phones? Well the texting never stopped. She was closer to her brother than anyone else in the world.

“Maia,” Clary began to the head bartender, “Everything stocked up in here, or do we need to restock some things?”

“We could use more patron, but that’s about it,” Maia said loudly as she bent to take stock of everything they did have.

“We’ll get you a few bottles. Make sure your headset is charged in case you need me later,” Clary reminded her.

Maia was infamous for forgetting to charge her headset, and later having to use someone else’s to ask Clary for restocking. It was a constant thing. The bar always needed more liquor. Not that Clary was complaining; this paid her rent every month. It was just tiresome at times.

As Clary and Jonathan went down to the alcohol supply room, marked as storage so people wouldn’t enter, Simon began testing the sound system out to make sure it was working.

“How many bottles, Clary?” Jonathan asked.

Clary thought for a moment before saying, “Three for good measure so we hopefully don’t have to keep running back here every two hours.”

Jonathan chuckled, grabbed a box, removing one huge bottle, and carried it out, Clary on his heels.

The beat was pounding, and if Clary was honest she just wanted to dance. Pandemonium was fun, and she rarely got to enjoy it because she was the Assistant Manager of the club. She did all the paychecks, all the ordering of alcohol, made sure day crew cleaned the glasses, and made sure that when someone was too drunk to get home they got an Uber. 

Clary was exactly to Magnus what Lydia was to Alec. She kept everything running per Magnus’ orders. And this was Friday, which meant the next two days she’d be slammed, and then off Monday and Tuesday. Although apparently they were closed tomorrow which would be a downer for their regulars. But security measures were needed, and Clary completely understood.

Jonathan took the box to Maia, who immediately stocked it, and handed the empty box to Jonathan. He broke it down and went to put it in the recycle bin. That had been Clary’s idea; recycling. They had too much business to throw recyclables in the dumpster every night. Magnus hadn’t been sure at first, but when Jonathan did a cost analysis that they’d need the dumpster emptied far less often, and it would benefit everyone in the end, Magnus had relented. Clary and her brother were an unstoppable force.

There were other small things to take care of, and at ten minutes to ten, everyone donned their headsets, Clary turning the volume on hers up above the music, which pretty much sucked the fun out of the club, but it was her job. 

She kissed her brother’s cheek as she scurried off to do more work. The people were pouring in and the night had only begun for them.

Hours later, when she was done with being in Manager mode and was back home with her brother, Clary sighed contentedly as Jonathan massaged her feet.

“This is what you get for working in heels,” he teased her.

“I have to, you know that. Besides it means I get to enjoy one hell of a foot rub. Was your girlfriend there tonight? I didn’t see her,” Clary teased.

“I don’t have a girlfriend, but no that Faerie wannabe wasn’t there that I saw. Honestly, she’s much too old for me. I’m busy with work and the club anyways. I don’t need a girlfriend,” Jonathan retorted with the same exact lines he used every time the subject came up.

Clary sat up, removing her feet from her brother’s lap, and launched into the ‘talk’ they seemed to regularly have.

“But Jonathan, you haven’t dated anyone in all the time we’ve lived together. From when you were nineteen til now. Isn’t that a little… depressing?” Clary asked.

“I have dated, I just don’t bring them home as you don’t bring yours home. It just hasn’t worked out longterm with any of them. Like Becky and I went on a few dates a year back, but then realized we were much better off as friends. We go to lunch on her days off sometimes,” Jonathan informed her.

And this was news to Clary, but at least if he was expanding his social circle then he might meet someone. Clary often wondered if her brother just didn’t care to date at all. And if he didn’t, who was Clary to tell him he was wrong? But if he’d just tell her that, she wouldn’t worry so much.

Clary knew she took up all of her brother’s time. There was work, the club on the days he came, their home life… The list went on and on. And Clary knew a lot of the regulars were into her brother. He was indeed attractive. But he never seemed to be into them. When Jonathan could, he’d coerce Clary into dancing with him. She was sure people thought they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but obviously they weren’t. They were just really close.

“Besides,” Jonathan said as he drank some of his beer, “You haven’t dated in awhile either, and I haven’t said anything to you.”

Clary laughed. “Only because no man will ever be good enough for me in your eyes. You know, not every man is like Valentine. They won’t all hurt me the way he hurt you.”

Jonathan let out a loud, frustrated sigh as he always did when he wasn’t drunk and the subject of their biological father was brought up.

“I know that, Clary. I trust Luke one hundred percent. He’s as good as a dad to both of us. I just want to make sure you find someone worthy of you. A man who will put your needs first and strive to help you achieve your goals. Is it really so wrong to worry about my little sister?” he asked.

Clary laughed and said, “No, it’s not. I just worry about you, too, is all.”

“You have nothing to worry about. I’m right here. Now take a shower, and don’t use all the hot water,” he teased.

And Clary laughed over her shoulder as she headed to her room to get pajamas.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of one-sided incest. It is not (and will never be) explicit. It's briefly mentioned, but is central to the fic.
> 
> Please leave a comment and/or a kudos if you liked it!

Jonathan prided himself on being a good big brother. He prided himself on taking care of his little sister in any way possible. He prided himself on being a good CPA. He prided himself on being loyal to Clary and Clary alone.

But Jonathan didn’t pride himself on the way he looked at his sister.

Truth be told, he wasn’t too bothered by it. Clary was a goddess, with her red hair fanned out beautifully when she laid on the couch. Her alabaster skin with just a few freckles. Her smile lighting up her deep green eyes. She was gorgeous, and anyone could see this. Guys often broke their necks turning to get a better look at her when they passed her on the street.

But Jonathan knew other brothers didn’t look at their sisters the way he looked at Clary. Other brothers were protective, yes, but not irrationally jealous of any male that came into contact with their sister. Other brothers didn’t tend to live with their sister the way he lived with his. They also didn’t crack open their sister’s door at night to watch her sleep they way Jonathan did with Clary.

Truthfully, Jonathan didn’t know if he was sick or not. But Clary was beautiful, and Jonathan prided himself on being everything she could ever need. Jonathan accepted Luke as part of their family. Luke was no threat. To him, Clary was a daughter, and he looked out for her, too. Then there was Simon, but he wasn’t an issue. Hadn’t been since Clary turned him down. He was a loyal best friend, and he, too, looked out for her. Because Jonathan couldn’t be there 24/7, as much as he might wish he could be.

But Clary was hiding something. Jonathan could sense it. He always knew; always could tell when there was something she was keeping from him. As Jonathan stared through the cracked door at a sleeping Clary, he vowed to get to the bottom of it.

~~~

Clary woke up around ten and stumbled into the dining area of their apartment. Jonathan had made breakfast for her. French toast, Clary’s favorite. She yawned widely, and Jonathan soaked in the sight of a mussy haired Clary, her hair catching the light and glowing copper. He wondered idly if she was seeing someone. If she was, would this asshole appreciate her beauty the way Jonathan did? He practically worshiped her.

He handed her a glass of orange juice, and Clary took it gratefully.

“So what’s the game plan for today?” Jonathan asked and Clary shrugged.

“Pandemonium is closed tonight for… some reason. I think Magnus has to meet with his lawyer. Anyway, I figured I’d paint or draw in my room today, blaring my music in my earbuds. Unless you want to do something…?” Clary asked hesitantly.

Jonathan shook his head. “I have a few errands to run. We need more groceries, so I suppose I’ll take care of that since we both know you don’t cook,” he teased.

Clary rolled her eyes, but she was smiling which was a good sign. They parted ways, Jonathan deciding to shower before he went out, knowing Clary would later take a good hour in the shower to get the paint off her. It was typical Clary, and she usually left the bathroom smelling somewhat like jasmine in a summer breeze. It was Jonathan’s favorite scent.

Perusing the aisles of the local grocery store helped him to clear his head, and truth be told he needed it cleared. He was too close. This was too personal. He needed to be careful. Everyone did. Any wrong move and any one of them could end up dead. Even him. 

As long as Clary was protected, that was all Jonathan cared about. That was all he had ever cared about. As he selected chicken breasts from the frozen section, he thought back to meeting Clary. She had just been born, and Valentine was still trying to pretend he was a good man. Jonathan was three, and Jocelyn had asked him if he wanted to hold his baby sister. She had one curl of bright red hair, brighter than Jocelyn’s and so much prettier. She had yawned a gummy yawn, and Jonathan was in awe of her. That someone could be so perfect and pure blew his mind.

They had worried about him holding Clary. He could have dropped her, being only three. But Jonathan didn’t. He held her, kissed her nose, and told her he would love her until he took his last breath. And he stayed true to that promise. Even when Valentine would beat Jocelyn, Jonathan would hide under a bed with Clary, stroking her so that she remained quiet.

But his parents had separated, and Valentine demanded to get him or he’d hurt Clary. Jocelyn wanted to fight it, but Jonathan was six and he knew this was the way to protect his sister. So he went. He went and endured hell. Endured waterboarding, endured being whipped with a switch on his back—scars that he wore like a badge of honor now—, endured being tortured and beaten. All for Clary. Because she was the only thing right in the world.

And now here they were, living together like an actual couple. He got to make her breakfast, watch her sleep, and take care of her. It was the greatest thing in his life. Clary was an actual goddess who made every woman look lesser to Jonathan. Including the hippie woman who came to Pandemonium to hit on him. Why take a dye job redhead with overt tones when he could have Clary? Clary who loved him more than anyone else in the world ever had or ever would. Clary who he’d taught to drive—with a bit of Luke’s help. Clary who was his ray of sunshine in the dark storm of a life he’d lead.

Jonathan knew he was a lot of things, but he’d never imagined that he could grow to be more in love with Clary every day. And he was sure he couldn’t have her. But if he couldn’t, no one else could either.


	8. Chapter 8

Jace was up early, and Magnus was still knocked out. Being a bodyguard often meant that Jace went with less sleep than he would have liked. But the job was worth it. Especially this one. One grand a week? Plus a place to stay, someone else’s food to eat, and a rocking club to go to? This was practically Jace’s Heaven.

Now here he was, Amazon Prime having delivered the surveillance cameras he had Magnus order. Jace was waiting for Raphael to leave, and that man seemed to have no trouble taking his time. When he finally walked out into the main living area, Jace approached him.

“I need you to make sure you are gone for a few hours,” he ordered.

Raphael arched a brow. “Why?” he asked.

Jace rocked on his heels. He didn’t like being questioned, but since this was also Raphael’s home he couldn’t just have Magnus kick him out. He had to deal with this head-on.

“Look,” Jace began slowly, “You believe Magnus is innocent, right?”

Raphael nodded. “Of course I do. I’ve known him my whole life and he would never h-”

“Save that for the character witness testimony. I need to do some things… here… that could help prove Magnus’ innocence. And I need two or three hours to do it in,” Jace explained.

For a moment Raphael just stood there studying Jace, and then he nodded and said, “Well I was planning on just doing confession… but I suppose I could go over to my sister’s apartment afterward and help with the family dinner. I should be gone all day. Will that work?”

Jace relaxed and nodded. “Yes, that will work perfectly.”

Once Raphael left, Jace set to work. He would have to set up cameras discreetly outside Magnus’ apartment, which meant wiring them into the rest of the wiring, and then having them bluetooth enabled to cast to his computer. It was tedious work, and when Magnus was awake an hour and a half later, Jace was still hard at work, finishing the last bit of wiring. 

Right outside Magnus’ door were two shelves that held plants and teddy bears. He had them looking through the teddy bear’s eyes. It was simple but still needed to be done carefully so no one would notice the cameras. The point was to try and surprise anyone who would try to come after Magnus. In court, of course. Unless they became violent, then Jace would gladly subdue them.

The rest of the setup was getting them to stream to his laptop, and then repositioning the teddy bears so they had a wide view. They needed to catch the door and anyone coming down the hall, so they were positioned at an inward angle, and it seemed to work.

Magnus handed him a glass of orange juice and sat down across the table from Jace. 

“What are your intentions with Clary?” he asked suddenly, shocking Jace out of the zone he often fell into when doing camera setups.

“What—What are my intentions? Well, she is absolutely gorgeous. Kind of woman you bring home to mom, ya know? I just… I want to get to know her. I don’t usually do girlfriends but…”

“You would with her?” 

Jace nodded. “I would with her. She’s not just gorgeous; she is independent, strong-willed, family-oriented, and so much more. She is mind-blowing amazing, and I just want to spend time with her and get to know her better. Preferably in a way we don’t have to hide because of her brother.”

Magnus let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, let me tell you, Jace… there’s a weird story there.”

Jace looked up from his glass of orange juice and motioned for Magnus to continue.

“Now, I’d never accuse anyone of murder but… the car crash his parents were in was very… weird. There was some kind of accelerant in the vehicle. And one of the brake lines was… it wasn’t cut, but it was badly frayed to where any hard brake would cause it to break apart. But the authorities just assumed it was a coincidence.”

“You didn’t,” Jace stated.

Magnus shook his head. “I didn’t. Jonathan has always looked out for Clary. He’s given everything to take care of her. But the way he looks at her sometimes? It just doesn’t feel right. And of course, I can’t tell Clary that because that’s her brother and she’s going to defend him to hell and back. But it was always down in the will that if something happened to Jocelyn, Luke would get Clary. And wherever she goes, so does he.”

Jace sat there pondering this for a moment. He’d seen Jonathan last night. At least, Magnus had pointed him out. Bleach blond and cheekbones. He was practically Clary’s lapdog for the night. 

“I think…” Jace began slowly, rubbing the slight bit of stubble he needed to shave off, “I think you should tell your lawyer that. Alec… he should know that. Not saying Jonathan has anything to do with this because he probably doesn’t but… just to give him a full picture. This could be someone getting back at Jonathan by targeting you, you know what I’m saying?”

Magnus nodded, seeming to contemplate what Jace had said.

“Magnus, I’m serious. You could be just caught in the crossfire here. Tell Alec. Text him. Now. Do you have his cell?” Jace asked.

Magnus nodded and sighed, finally obliging and whipping out his cell to send Alec a text. And if Jace was hoping something good came out of this for his brother, he wasn’t telling. Jace knew Alec. Knew him better than anyone else in the world. He knew his brother had a thing for Magnus. And the good thing? Magnus wouldn’t always be his client. So nudging them together wasn’t a bad thing in Jace’s eyes. 

Of course, Alec was probably in his home gym, given what day and time it was. But he’d get back to Magnus when he checked his phone. But Jace found himself lost in thought.

“So what would Jonathan do if he found out Clary and I were… talking?” Jace asked finally.

“Nothing good, that’s for sure. There was Sebastian, this dirty blond who had a thing for Clary. Well, he blackmailed him to leave her alone. She swears he was just looking out for her, but the kid wasn’t a bad guy. But no one wants their mom to see a porn video they did for cash when they couldn’t make rent. He just… he finds a way to drive a wedge between Clary and any guy or girl she sees.”

Jace choked on his orange juice. “Girl?”

“Yes, girl. Clary is bisexual like me. Well maybe more pansexual, but she isn’t too sure yet. She and Maia had a thing. I busted them for having sex in my office after hours. Well, her brother found out, and all I know is that Maia won’t talk to Clary anymore beyond what is required at the bar, and she quails underneath Jonathan’s stare. Something isn’t right with him. It’s like he’s in love with his own damn sister,” Magnus said disgustedly. 

Jace had a feeling this went a lot deeper than that, and he shot Alec a text, too, so his brother would know something serious was going on.

~~~

Alec had never gone to a client’s house before, that much Jace knew. So for him to drop everything and come by Magnus’ meant he thought that this was something big, too. 

“Did you set up cameras?” Alec demanded of him.

Jace nodded. “I’m not a rookie, Alec. I get the feed on my laptop. I have a separate hard-drive for the cameras to save to so if we need to go back at any point for any reason we can.”

Alec nodded. “This Jonathan sounds like he’s easily threatened. He doesn’t have an issue with you, does he?” Alec asked Magnus.

“Not that I am aware of. Look Jonathan may be a lot of things, but I doubt even he would do this. He is weird and oddly obsessed with his sister, but to murder all those people? What would be his motive?” Magnus asked.

“I don’t know, but it is an avenue we have to explore. Just to be sure, Magnus. I’ll get my hands on the case files from his parents’ death and see if anything stands out in the report. Then we will go from there. This is all crucial information, Magnus. I need to know everything about everyone in your inner circle because that’s where this has to all be coming from. We have a month before court, where they will probably reset the case and then go to pick a jury. Everything matters. Anything weird or off with anyone is important,” Alec explained.

Magnus sighed but nodded all the same. Jace couldn’t even imagine how hard it must be for Magnus. To think someone he trusted was framing him? The idea was terrible. Jace knew he would be crushed if someone suggested Izzy or Alec was framing him.

Alec sat down at the table, Magnus grabbing him a soda and then sitting opposite. Jace sat down and pulled up the camera feed as the other two talked.

“How long have you known Clary and Jonathan?” Alec asked, Jace still pulling up the video feed on his laptop and enabling night vision; all the standard stuff.

“Well, I was technically her babysitter when she was young. I needed a job badly, and Jocelyn hired me. I was sixteen and Clary was nine. Her brother never really came around. I was good with kids, and Jocelyn had a good vibe about me, or so she said, so I ended up watching Clary when Luke was working long hours. We lost contact as Clary got older and didn’t need a babysitter, and then when she was an adult I ran into her at the grocery store. She remembered me. We’ve been friends ever since,” Magnus explained. 

Jace tuned out, opening a program to take notes on the hallways he was scoping out and exactly what it looked like. Alec would take pictures of it, too, just in case something changed it was documented for the court by someone trustworthy.

Alec held a lot of sway in the courtroom. The judges both loved and hated him. He was exceptional at his job. Jace had seen him during trials. The way he fit all the pieces together to get someone off for something they may or may not have done was extraordinary. Jace was sure this would be no different. True, this would all be time-consuming for all of them, but to get an innocent man off was a great thing to do.

But now Jace was wondering about Jonathan. He hadn’t _seemed_ the type to hurt anyone, but if he was as crazy about Clary as Magnus said then anything was possible. But what would his end game end up being if he _was_ the one killing these people? Why frame Magnus? Magnus was no threat. Unless Jonathan thought otherwise? But even Jace didn’t want to imagine that Clary’s brother would kill twelve people. She made everyone she was around better. Surely she would do that for Jonathan?

“But,” Alec said abruptly, “If he’s killed before he is capable of doing it again. I’ve seen it so many times, Magnus. We _have_ to explore this option, whether Clary likes it or not. And if she finds out I can guarantee she won’t like it. But this is my job. For every person we rule out there’s one less person it could be. I don’t want to see you get the lethal injection because you were scared to upset someone. This is a _murder_ investigation. A lot of people are going to get upset. It’s part of the deal.”

Jace stared at Alec and then looked at Magnus. Magnus was looking at him with almost pleading eyes, but Jace knew he had to agree with his brother. Temporary fissures were nothing compared to spending life in jail in the least worse scenario, and he said as much to Magnus.

Magnus sighed but nodded.

“Fine, this is what you do best I suppose,” Magnus relented.

Alec nodded. “It is. Now how can I get a hold of Luke to get the file on Jocelyn’s and Valentine’s deaths?”

Magnus scribbled a number down on a nearby post-it note and handed it to Alec with a resigned expression.

“I suggest calling him today. He’s off,” Magnus said of Luke. 

Alec nodded and pulled out his phone.

“Hey, Luke Garroway? This is Alec Lightwood… well, we need to weed out possible suspects and I was hoping to start with Jonathan since we know he has been a murder suspect before… yeah, could you get me the file? … Thanks, Mr. Garroway. I’ll meet you in an hour.”

Alec hung up looking smug, and even Jace had to admit that his reasoning to Luke made sense. No one needs to know the truth but the three men sitting at the table. Unless, of course, Jonathan _was_ guilty. But what would that mean for him and Clary? Nothing good, he thought.__


	9. Chapter 9

Alec was driving to the police station to meet Luke. Apparently, Luke was working overtime and was at work when Magnus assumed he’d be home. That only made this much easier for Alec. If he went to Luke’s home and Clary _was_ there it could raise questions he’d rather not explain at the moment. He’d have given her the generic response he gave Luke, but she would probably still be pissed Jonathan was even being investigated.

As Alec pulled up to the police station, Luke walked out with the file in hand. Alec stepped out of his car and waved him over. Luke took a few seconds to get there, and he observed Alec, not yet handing the file out.

“Clary better never find out about this,” Luke warned him.

“No one needs to know. We’re doing background runs on everyone in Magnus’ circle so it can be addressed before we go to trial and have shady character witnesses. I’m just trying to bring Magnus home,” Alec tried to explain.

Luke snorted. “Don’t bullshit me, Lightwood. You think he could have done this. Can’t say I blame you. He’s always been a bit… off,” Luke said as he handed the file over.

“How so?” Alec asked, slipping his hand into his pocket to turn on his recorder. He didn’t want to miss this or forget anything else just in case.

Luke sighed and rubbed his beard for a moment before answering.

“Kid has a lot of issues. But he’s never really tried to date. He may have had a date here and there, but if the woman ever tried to cut into his time with Clary, they had to go. And Clary thinks nothing of it. To her, Jonathan is a hero. He watched out for her since the day she was born. He intentionally went to Valentine to keep Clary safe. He was abused like you wouldn’t believe. Valentine turned out to be a sadistic motherfucker. So if he saw a chance to kill Valentine—because it was his car—I believe he’d have done that.

“I don’t want to think he’d murder twelve people. But I can’t put it beyond the realm of possibility. If he thinks anyone is taking his place or threatening Clary he could become extremely violent,” Luke explained.

Alec stood there a moment, file in hand before he responded. “If you never trusted him, why’d you take him in?”

Luke shrugged. “Keep your family close and your enemies closer. I figured he would be able to brainwash Clary less if I stood in the way. And I’m not scared of Jonathan. He doesn’t see me as a threat, and of course, he shouldn’t. But the next person he may have an issue with is Simon. That’s Clary’s best friend since she was a kid. He’s in love with Clary, and he’s planning on asking her out again. That’s bound to piss Jonathan off.”

Alec nodded. He needed to find Simon and put surveillance on him too, just in case.

“Thanks for your help, Mr. Garroway. This conversation never happened,” he said.

Luke took the file back, wrote Simon’s number on it, and handed it back to Alec.

“Good luck, son,” Luke said before walking back into the police station.

As Alec watched Luke go, he had the strangest feeling he was being watched. He got into his car and drove around for a bit, making sure to shake anybody off before heading home to read the file.

~~~

Alec was tired. More than that, he was bone-deep exhausted after reading the file for Jonathan. Really, it was more tedious than usual, and the police had done a _very_ shitty job at investigating the accident. They seemed to think it was more chance than homicide. But Alec knew a homicide trail when he saw one. Someone—most likely Jonathan—had set this up and executed it perfectly. There were traces of accelerant on the car, the brake line was frayed. All it would have taken was one hard stop for the brake lines to snap, and then there would be no one in control of the car.

The police had interviewed Jonathan, but he had an alibi for most of the previous nights. Except one. He left work early, returned late to the home, and had no alibi for the time he was missing. He had said he went for a walk, and the police seemed to buy that. Alec wasn’t so sure. Something was very much off, and Alec knew he needed to interview Jonathan.

Alec was not looking forward to that. One wrong question and he could lose the only suspect he had. He needed to come off as being on Jonathan’s side, not as a suspicious lawyer. So the best way to do that was to set up meetings with all of Magnus’ inner circle. Simon first, Clary second, Jonathan third, and so on. That way he didn’t feel singled out. It would seem routine if everyone went for questioning.

Alec’s text message notification went off, and he picked up the phone to see what was going on.

Jace: So how’s it going? Magnus is cooking and talking about you. You think he’s hot, right?

Alec grimaced. He knew his brother. Jace and Iz were both known for trying to hook him up with a decent guy. There just didn’t seem to be many attractive, ambitious, and hard-working men who liked men out there. It was difficult. Alec preferred taking a hot guy to a motel, using a condom, fucking him senseless, and then leaving. He hadn’t bottomed in years because he only did that with men he had feelings for, and he sure as hell hadn’t found one in a very long time.

He typed out a text and sent it.

Alec: How is this at all relevant? I’m trying to save his ass.

Alec sighed and closed the file. It was now four in the afternoon, and Alec was low on energy. He didn’t feel up to dealing with his brother’s antics, but as Jace was hired by Magnus to help with the case, Alec found he couldn’t be too upset. At least he’d make it easier if another body was found. Alibi and all that. Jace had a pristine background, which considering in High School he was considered the bad boy was an amazing thing.

Jace: It’s relevant because it’s been five years since you dated bro. When are you going to give a guy a chance? Magnus is practically pining over you. He won’t always be your client ya know. And once he gets off on this case, you and he could idk… go on a date or some shit?

Alec sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was too tired for this.

Alec: How are things on your end? Has anyone been snooping around?

A change of topic was what they needed. Something other than the beautiful man with amber eyes who seemed to light up a room every time he entered. Alec could lie to Jace, but he couldn’t lie to himself. Magnus Bane was exactly his type. Ambitious, hard-working, attractive, and loyal. But Alec doubted Magnus was really pining over him. He wouldn’t allow himself to hope it was true because what if it wasn’t?

Jace: No one snooping yet, and don’t change the subject! You’re into him, he’s into you. Just text him.

Alec sighed. Jace never did know when to stop, but that was something he loved about his brother. If he needed to learn something, he kept at it. He was self-taught for surveillance. It had impressed the hell out of Alec.

Alec: How about I do my job, get him off, and then worry about possibly texting him?

Jace: … Okay, that works too.

Alec shook his head and set his phone down, then immediately picking the phone up and dialing. He waited for the person on the other end to answer.

“Hello?” a chipper voice said.

“Mr. Lewis?”

“Yes…?” Simon said, sounding slightly confused.

“This is Alec Lightwood. I am Magnus Bane’s lawyer. I am trying to interview everyone in his inner circle to get good character witnesses. I have to go over your whole background, good and bad. Would you be able to come in and do that? For Magnus, of course.”

There was a pause. And then, “If it’s for Magnus, of course I’ll do it. I work nights at the club, but I’m free this evening if that’s not too soon.”

Alec thought for a minute before answering.

“Today isn’t good for me. Could you maybe come to my office Monday morning? We could go over everything there, and water or soda will be provided. Say… 9 am?”

“Yeah, that works. What’s the address?” Simon asked.

Alec gave it to him, and they ended the call with the promise Simon would be there to help clear “one of my homies.” He seemed silly and nerdy, but if he was willing to help—and possibly able to lead Alec to the real murderer—well that worked out nicely.

Alec dialed Lydia’s number, and the moment she answered began to talk.

“On Monday at nine in the morning, mister Simon Lewis is going to come in as a character witness for Magnus Bane. He should be given every amenity we have. I will text you with the rest of the interviews I am setting up. Got it?”

“Yes, Mr. Lightwood,” Lydia said in her most professional voice. They hung up.

Next up, Clary. Setting up the appointments was going to be tiring.

~~~

For the rest of the weekend, Alec didn’t hear from Jace. He was busy doing his thing which was all that Alec really cared about at this point. Jace did try to get Alec to come to the club Sunday night, but Alec wasn’t up for it. He had interviews every day of the week next week, with some going on into the week after. He would be up to his eyeballs in work. Thankfully, Jonathan had agreed to the interview, so there would be no fretting. His mission was going well.

Alec slept well the night before Simon Lewis’ interview. He had everything under control, like usual. It was hard to trip up Alec. He knew his status and he knew what he needed to do and when he needed to do it. This wasn’t his first murder case. It was, however, his first murder case with twelve counts of murder. So it was interesting.

Simon Lewis was on time, dressed more professionally than Alec would ever expect a DJ to dress. He seemed nervous as he sat down across from Alec, who had a recorder under his desk so he could listen back on the full interview at any given time.

“Mr. Lewis, a pleasure to meet you,” and Alec stood up and extended his hand for the man to shake.

“Please, call me Simon. Mr. Lewis makes me think of my dad.”

Alec nodded. “Of course, Simon. Sit down. Do you need any water or anything?”

“No thank you. I just want to not feel like a criminal myself,” Simon giggled. He actually giggled. Nervously at that.

“You aren’t here to be judged, Simon,” Alec began gently. “I just need to ask a lot of questions. Several reasons. To see if, possibly, you know someone who might be capable of these murders, or even if you could help us find a motive. Secondly, we need to make sure you’re a good character witness. We don’t need the character witnesses slandered for past misdeeds. It’s more a formality. Everyone will be going through this. Just breathe, and remember that it’s only us. I am not a cop. Okay?” Alec asked and Simon nodded, bouncing his knee erratically.

Alec had a feeling that Simon was definitely not the murderer. He was too nervous. Not in an ‘oh I did something wrong’ kind of way, but in an ‘I’m just a nervous wreck all the time’ kind of way. That was at least the vibe Alec got from Simon.

“So Simon,” Alec began, “How long have you known Magnus?”

“Oh, well, uh, since I was nine. He babysat me and Clary. Mostly because I wouldn’t leave her side when her mom wasn’t there. I didn’t trust a male babysitter at first, but he never did anything like bad or what have you. Complete gentleman. We did a lot of scrabble and Yahtzee when he was there.”

Alec’s pen was poised over the notepad as he asked, “And how old are you now?”

“Twenty-eight; the same age as Clary.”

“So you’ve known my client for almost two decades now, correct?” Alec asked, wanting to make sure he was catching every bit of information.

Simon nodded, and Alec scribbled down something.

“So if you had to point someone out in your circle of friends as being creepy or just not very friendly towards Magnus, who would it be?”

Simon thought for a moment before saying, “That’s the hard part. Everyone in our circle loves Magnus. Except for Jonathan, but then I don’t think he loves anyone other than Clary to be completely honest.”

Ahah! Alec thought.

“But do you believe he would be capable of framing Magnus?” Alec asked.

Simon shrugged. “I guess, but what would be the point? Just because he isn’t in love with the guy doesn’t mean he’s a murderer. He’s had a tough past, but I don’t think he’s anything like his father,” Simon said defensively.

Alec needed to take a step back from the questioning of Jonathan. It was obvious it was raising Simon’s hackles.

“Would you say you’ve had a tough past?” Alec inquired.

“Oh, uh… well, it was hard losing my dad. But my mom and sister are totally great support systems. I’d say it was normal.”

“Have you ever been arrested?” Alec asked, feeling more and more like this was a dead end every second.

Simon shook his head, and Alec jotted down a note.

“What about traffic tickets?”

Simon shook his head again.

“Can you think of anyone outside of Magnus’ circle who would hold a grudge against him? Whether their interactions are legal or… not?”

“Well,” Simon began slowly. “His ex-girlfriend Camille might. When they were together she thought she was going to be made co-owner of Pandemonium, and when Magnus told her she wouldn’t be, she lost her shit.”

“How so?” Alec asked.

“She smashed all the tables in his office, told him he would regret it one day if it was the last thing she was ever able to do. She said she’d find a way to put him out of business permanently,” Simon explained, and Alec perked up. Now, this was a solid lead.

“What’s her last name?” Alec asked.

“Belcourt. She comes from royalty somewhere way, way back, so she thinks that entitles her to whatever she wants. Between us, I don’t think she ever gave a damn about Magnus. She just wanted his money. So she pretended like she cared when in reality she never once did. She was a royal bitch who harassed the bartenders at the club if they didn’t look the way she thought they should. Magnus had to tell her to leave a lot. Glad to be rid of her.”

Alec scribbled the name down.

“Is there anyone, and I mean anyone, else you can think of who might have a grudge against Magnus for any reason?” Alec asked, stressing the point.

Simon chewed his lip before responding.

“Well, Lorenzo Rey is a competing club owner, and he absolutely loathes Magnus. They go to the same social events, and he is always trying to put Magnus down. If Camille were doing anything illegal to get back at Magnus, Lorenzo would have no problem helping her.”

Alec wrote the name down.

“What club does he own?” Alec asked, thinking this might be another lead for him to check out.

“JR’s. It’s a gay club. Mostly for gay men.”

And when Alec thought hard enough, he was sure he’d heard of it; maybe even been there once before years ago.

“Was JR’s big before Pandemonium came along?”

Simon nodded. “Very. It was the place to go, that’s for sure. But it was also a bit skeevy. Gloryholes and all that. Lorenzo was the big man on campus. But then came Pandemonium with gay nights for men and women. And excellent drugs. I’m sure Lorenzo has tried to sneak cops into the club, but he’s never been able to manage to do so. I could easily see him helping to shut Magnus’ club down. But that’s not possible.”

“Why isn’t it possible?” Alec asked, genuinely curious.

“Well because if something ever happens to Magnus, it’s in the contract that Clary gets the club.”

And this was news to Alec. Could it be that someone wanted Clary in charge? Someone like Jonathan? Or were Camillie and Lorenzo hooking up to take Magnus down without realizing it wouldn’t work? Alec found he had more questions than answers, but such was the life of a lawyer.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it has taken so long to update! I swear this story is already finished I've just been soooooo busy! Please comment if you're still reading!

Jace didn’t see Clary again until the next weekend, but they had been texting the entire time. It certainly put a spring in Jace’s step. He constantly kept checking his phone to see if another text had come through from the stunning woman. Tuesday saw no texts from Clary, but a call around noon.

“Hello?” Jace asked as he saw who it was calling him. Stay cool, he told himself.

“Hey, are you and Magnus busy?” she asked, her voice soft yet determined.

“Magnus is asleep at the moment, I’m afraid,” Jace responded, his heart sinking.

“No worries. I have a key. I’m coming by.”

And Jace’s heart soared. He jumped into the shower, bathing as fast as he possibly could, then shrugging on clean clothes. His room was, thankfully, not a mess. By the time Clary got there, Jace was sitting in the kitchen, watching her on the cameras while drinking a cup of coffee.

“Hey,” Jace said, eyes lighting up.

Clary beamed at him, saying hello as she put her purse down on the table and sat down across from Jace.

“Your brother would make a good detective,” she said nonchalantly.

“Did you meet with him then?”

Clary nodded. “I did. He is trying to cover every single angle, which is good. It’s just hard thinking one of us could have done this to Magnus. Of course, there are so many theories right now, but Alec said I was a good character witness. Never been arrested, never had a traffic ticket… so hopefully I can help him. He’s one of my closest friends.”

There was a note of sadness in her voice, and Jace wanted to scoop her up in his arms and hold her until everything was better. But he didn’t. He simply laid his hand on top of hers.

“Clary, it’s going to be okay. You may lose someone, but I highly doubt it’ll be Magnus. My brother is amazing at what he does. And hey,” he said, looking her dead in her eyes, “I am here for you.”

Clary gave a watery smile. “Thanks, Jace. That means a lot to me. I just wish we could fast forward to the end, but Magnus always says it’s the journey that counts.”

“He’s right,” Jace said firmly. “We will get through this, and you will be a better woman because of it. I promise. And at the end of all this, maybe I can take you on a proper date.”

Clary gave a tinkling laugh that made Jace think of faerie lights. “I’d love that. Now if only my brother doesn’t try to drive you away.”

“I won’t let him,” Jace promised.

Magnus walked out of his room, coming over to kiss Clary on the top of her head.

“Nice to see you, Biscuit.”

Clary beamed at Magnus. “You too, Magnus. I had to come to see how you are holding up.”

Magnus shrugged. “Good as can be expected. It’s a bit rough, but I’ll live. Jace here has been keeping me sane. And that attractive brother of his needs to come around so I can have some eye candy to look at.”

They all laughed.

“Once all this is over,” Jace said. “I am sure he will. He may not want to admit it while he is working for you, but he does like you.”

Magnus smiled. “Really? Well in that case I just have to have this case against me dismissed. Wouldn’t want to disappoint that hazel-eyed God.”

Clary laughed. “Do you ever stop, Magnus?”

Magnus shrugged. “Not when I see a good thing standing right in front of me.”

And this gave Jace hope for Alec to have an actual relationship one day, with someone who wouldn’t want to use him for his money. Alec could have an equal.

“Alright,” Magnus said, clapping his hands together. “I am going to get washed up, and we are going to go out to eat. Clary, it’s your turn to decide what type of food you want. Jace can then pick where. Lunch is on me, Jace, and I will fight you if you say otherwise.”

And with that Magnus turned and walked off, leaving Jace and Clary alone. Jace suddenly realized his hand was still on top of Clary’s, but he made no effort to move it. For once, something felt absolutely right in Jace’s life, and it all had to do with Clary.

~~~

Once Magnus was ready, they set out for a nice breakfast restaurant Jace liked and Clary had agreed to called Egg and I. It was quaint, with some very good dishes. They closed at two, so it was a bit of a rush to get there before they locked up for the day. The staff was always friendly, and their waitress greeted Jace—who was sitting next to Clary—by name.

“Finally got some time off, Jace?” the woman asked.

Jace simply nodded, knowing he shouldn’t go into detail about the fact that he was actually Magnus’ bodyguard. There was no point in informing the whole world. He needed to be undercover and not seen as anything more than Magnus’ friend.

They all placed their orders, Clary getting a Belgian waffle, Magnus getting crepes, and Jace getting the hollandaise egg thing that he loved so much. They had all ordered coffee, and when it arrived it was a scramble for everyone to get the sugar and creamer and everything else.

“This is really nice, Jace. Do you come here often?” Clary asked.

Jace shook his head. “Nah. I used to, though. But while I worked for that CW actor I didn’t get the chance to go anywhere. I’m glad to be rid of him, honestly.”

Magnus chuckled, “That bad?”

Jace nodded. “Oh yeah. He wanted to sleep with all the women, and when they didn’t want to sleep with him they were, and I quote, “stuck up bitches.” I can’t imagine treating any woman like that. My mother would kill me. And after she and Dad divorced, we spent quite a bit of time with Mom.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened with your mom and dad?” Clary asked softly.

“Dad cheated. Which is crazy. Mom is a total beauty, just ask Luke. But they never once talked bad about each other or made us feel in any way that it was our fault. Dad was just working overseas when they got divorced, and he had our youngest brother in a boarding school where he was, so it was a minute before we saw him. But he called every night and talked to us. It just didn’t work for them.”

“So no hard feelings?” Magnus asked, and Jace shook his head.

“Not at all. They don’t see each other a lot, but when it’s something for one of us—like Max’s graphic novel coming out—they are both there to support us. They’ve given me the stability I never thought I could have after my birth father died.”

Clary squeezed his hand softly.

“What happened to your mother?” Magnus asked softly.

“She died giving birth to me. I suppose that is why my dad hated me so much. He blamed me, and I idolized him. It wasn’t healthy. But Maryse and Robert took me in and changed all that. They’ve been the best family I could ever have had.”

“I can relate,” Clary said as the food arrived and they all tucked in. “My dad was awful. I’m lucky I had my mom and Luke. Both of them raised me. It pissed Valentine off to no end that Luke ‘turned’ on him. But what do you expect to happen when a real man finds out you’re beating your wife and child? Poor Jonathan is all types of fucked up behind it.”

Jace was paying close attention, just in case. “How so?” he asked softly.

Clary pursed her lips, thinking.

“Well, for one, he won’t date, and he won’t let me date. I think he is always worried every man I see may turn out to be like Valentine. But he got the brunt of the abuse so that I didn’t have to. He did his best to take care of me, and now he sees a tainted world because of our father. I’m surprised he even trusts Luke the way he does. Or Simon, for that matter.”

“Isn’t it weird not being able to date because of your brother?” Jace asked, clicking the recorder in his pocket Alec had given him for occasions such as this.

“It’s kind of weird, but he is genuinely worried, I think. Normally everyone asks why I’d want to live with him, but honestly, he takes care of me,” Clary said.

Jace nodded. “But it’s got to be super awkward to bring a guy home, right?”

Clary glanced down at her lap before saying, “He won’t let me bring anyone home. He throws an absolute fit if I try to. I don’t know why; it’s one of those things we just don’t talk about. But he’ll slam doors, break plates, pound on my door. It’s awful.”

“You never told me that, Biscuit,” Magnus cut in.

Clary shrugged. “What am I supposed to say? My brother is beyond overprotective and I’m sure he would kill for me?”

Jace stopped the recorder, having gotten everything he wanted.

They finished up lunch, chatting about lighter topics, and as Clary parted ways with them, Jace shot Alec a text telling him he may have made a breakthrough in the case. Alec was quick to respond to say he would be there after work.

~~~

Alec got there at exactly five p.m., having taken off from work early, as he told Jace.

Magnus wasn’t happy, but he agreed to let Jace play the recording for Alec. Alec sat there a moment, listening to and digesting the recording.

“Look, this is a possible motive. Magnus, you spend all your time with Clary. What if Jonathan is jealous?” Alec asked.

Magnus sighed. “I suppose it’s possible. But if I were you I would talk to Luke.”

“I already have,” Alec replied, “and he thinks there is something there with Jonathan. I know it would hurt Clary, but it would save you. I interview Jonathan tomorrow, in fact. I need to know from you, as someone who has a look behind the curtain, do you think Jonathan could have done this?”

Magnus sighed and plopped down in the soft chair in his living room, Alec standing in front of him, waiting with bated breath. Magnus massaged his temples and finally responded.

“If he were jealous then… sadly… yes, I think him more than capable of doing this. I still believe he killed Valentine and Jocelyn all those years ago,” Magnus said sadly.

“And the police reports back that up. What we need to do right now is somehow plant a camera at Jonathan’s apartment. Do you think that’s possible?” Alec asked.

Magnus thought for a minute, drumming his fingers on the soft chair before eventually saying, “If I tell Clary and Jonathan I need them at the club for a meeting, it should give you an hour. I have a key. But I thought Jace needed to be with me at all times?”

“Oh,” began Alec, “he does. But who do you think taught him about cameras?” Alec asked with a wicked grin.

Under Alec’s instruction, Magnus sent a text to both Clary and Jonathan saying he would need them at a meeting at six tonight. That would provide Alec enough time to get in, set up the nanny cam, and get out. Hopefully. Alec would text Magnus when he was done, so Magnus would know when to release them from the meeting.

Jace could tell Magnus wasn’t happy about this idea, but Alec was simply thrilled. If they could just get a confession… well, if anyone was capable of placing cameras in strategic positions it was Alec. Now came the time to wait until the meeting.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting so close to the end! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please leave a kudos or (even better!) a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Magnus was nervous. Actually, strike that. His anxiety was at an all-time high and he could practically feel his body trembling. Nervous didn’t even begin to cover it.

Magnus was waiting for Clary and Jonathan to get to the club. Alec was stationed outside their apartment complex, ready for when Jace told him he had both of the siblings with him. Magnus had drawn a diagram of their house for Alec so that when he got in, he knew where he was going. No time to be lost stumbling around. Alec was setting up at LEAST one nanny cam, though he had told Magnus he’d like to set up one in Jonathan’s room, too.

Magnus had no idea how the camera’s worked, but Alec assured him that he and Jace would be the only ones able to access it. This didn’t settle Magnus’ nerves. On the contrary, it made them worse. Clary was one of his dearest friends, and he was helping his lawyer to spy on her and her brother. It was a betrayal. One that Magnus wasn’t sure could ever be forgiven if they found out Jonathan was not the murderer. And Magnus sincerely hoped, for Clary’s sake, that Jonathan wasn’t. He felt that Clary would never forgive him if they found out her only blood relative was indeed a killer who had tried to frame Magnus.

Of course, Magnus was sure that someone was framing him, and ruling out Jonathan didn’t make it any easier on them. Someone in his circle had decided to frame him. Alec had mentioned Lorenzo and Camille, but Magnus wasn’t sure he could see either one of them becoming a killer just to bring his club down. Lorenzo was pettier than that. Get police to raid the club and shut down Magnus that way was Lorenzo’s goal, but murder? Lorenzo didn’t like to get his pretty hands dirty.

Then there was Camille. There was no denying she was a backstabbing bitch (and Magnus hated to use that word, but surely Camille was one). But her plans seemed to be more the ‘seduce and destroy’ type. He could see her trying to use Simon to get close to him. But Simon hadn’t heard from Camille since the day she told Magnus he would regret not letting her be CEO with him.

But Jonathan? Really? It was an unspoken rule that he would hurt anyone who hurt Clary. But what in the world had Magnus done that would unleash this kind of ire? He had always treated both siblings with respect, and he wasn’t even remotely interested in Clary, so that shouldn’t raise Jonathan’s hackles.

“You need to breathe,” Jace whispered from his place behind Magnus where he was standing guard.

Easy for him to say. No matter how much he cared about Clary, he wasn’t the one currently betraying her. And it made Magnus absolutely sick to his stomach to even think about.

And of course, when Magnus was feeling his worst, in walked Jonathan and Clary. Jace immediately pulled out his phone to text Alec to tell him the coast was clear. Magnus took a deep breath, stood up, and shook Jonathan’s hand. Then he gave Clary a hug and asked them to sit down across the desk from him.

“So glad both of you could make it,” Magnus said with a smile, putting a mask on to hide his fear. “We have a lot that needs to be discussed. And Jonathan?” Jonathan grunted. “I’ll need your assistance. You will of course be paid for any and all help you provide.”

Clary glanced over at Jonathan, a confused look on her face.

“What is this all about, Magnus?” Clary asked.

“Well, it seems some of our alcohol distributors have upped the price on certain alcohols. I need Jonathan here to tell me which is better to go with. I know not everyone can afford the high-end stuff, but for those who can, I need to see if the payout is worth the profit. And I need to know as soon as tonight, if possible. That way we can order what sells the most for the best price. Jonathan here is great at cost analysis. I need your help, too, Clary,” Magnus said.

“Magnus, of course. What can I do?” Clary asked.

Magnus snuck a quick glance at Jonathan. He seemed to have bought Magnus’ story. He certainly didn’t look upset. Maybe somewhat reluctant but that was all.

“I need to know, according to your documentation, which bartender is the best, and which ones are subpar. We need this place running efficiently. Of course, firing subpar bartenders is not the first step. I’d rather they trained with the likes of Maia to learn to get faster and better. Maia had been bartending long enough that she knows all the tricks.”

Clary nodded. “Of course, I can do that easily.”

Jonathan spoke up, “Do you have the documents for me to look this over so I can do it? And there’s an additional fee for rushing me and blindsiding me,” he said matter of factly.

“Of course, Jonathan. A grand should do, since I am rushing you,” Magnus offered.

Jonathan nodded and held his hands out for the documents. Clary was already up and moving to her office to get all the numbers on the bartenders. Each one had their own register that totaled up how many sales they made. Maia, as the fastest, had the highest score. She was the one everyone wanted to be. She pulled the most money in tips, and she was damn good at making the drinks fast but perfect.

Magnus handed Jonathan blank sheets of paper and a calculator as well, and Jonathan immediately got to work. Truth was, Magnus could easily have done this himself, but this was as good an excuse as any. He checked his email on his computer, typing responses back when necessary. The scratching of Jonathan’s pen seemed to soothe Magnus a bit. He was less worried, at any rate. Magnus waited for the text to Jace that all was finished, wondering how soon it would come.

~~~

As soon as Alec got the text from Jace, he was in the building, racing to Clary and Jonathan’s door, a small kit for his nanny cams in hand. When he got into the apartment he surveyed it, taking everything into account. Normally Jace would do this, but as Jace couldn’t leave Magnus’ side, it fell upon Alec to do the work.

The apartment was nice. Not as nice as Magnus’, but it spoke of a nice salary. Right above the door frame was a cuckoo clock. Perfect. Alec removed it and planted the first nanny cam, being careful to not break anything while he did this. It needed to look exactly the same when he left. No one needed their eyes to be drawn to it. It took Alec fifteen minutes to plant the nannycam and then hang the clock up exactly as he had found it; perfectly centered. Alec wondered if that was Jonathan’s thing, making sure everything was organized. As Clary was an artist, Alec was almost certain it wasn’t her. Artists tended to be disorganized as hell.

He peered into her room, saw the mess, and satisfied he was right, lightly closed the door. On to Jonathan’s room.

This room was pristine. Bed made perfectly, everything in order. It was like a showroom for an open house. Alec would need to be very careful to make sure everything was put back in order. He glanced around the room and saw a Build-A-Bear. He carefully picked it up and pressed the middle.

“I love you big brother!” the bear said in Clary’s voice. Perfect. He opened the back up and slipped a nanny cam into one of his eyes, careful to make sure he put the stuffing back in perfectly, sewed it back up perfectly, and then placed it back just so.

Alec pulled the app up on his phone and waved his hand in front of the bear. The video in the app showed him doing just that. He continued to test both nannycams by speaking to see how clearly he could hear his voice. Everything seemed to be perfect. Alec left the apartment as quietly and swiftly as he had come, making sure to turn off the lights behind him like they had been before he entered. He pulled his phone out and text Jace while he headed to his car.

~~~

Jace tapped Magnus three times on the back. That was the signal. It was done. Magnus wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. Alec wouldn’t be caught at their house. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t find the cameras. Still, they had no way of tracing it back to him. Unless they use common sense, he told himself. He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to clear his thoughts. This wasn’t helping him at all. He needed to remain calm. Alec knew what he was doing. The needn’t ever know. And once they proved Jonathan innocent—or guilty, he thought—they could remove the cameras when no one was there. So really, no one ever had to find out. Unless Jonathan actually was the murderer…

Clary came in, talking animatedly as she handed over the report. Magnus half-listened and did a lot of nodding, trying to focus on her but his head reeling. Had he done the best thing? Or was he so desperate to prove he wasn’t the killer that he would focus on anyone else? Jonathan had never hurt him. He’d always been welcoming. And here Magnus was, feeling like shit because of it.

“Magnus, are you okay?” Clary asked with a note of concern in her voice.

Magnus nodded. “Yeah, just tired and ready to go home. As I am sure both of you are. I think I might be getting sick. I have a sinus headache right behind my eyes and it’s fucking annoying,” Magnus lied.

“Go home, Magnus. You’re under a lot of stress. I’ll leave Jonathan’s analysis on your desk and lock up behind us. We don’t mind, do we?” she asked, glancing over to her brother.

“Not at all. Clary’s right, you need some downtime to process everything. I have my meeting with your lawyer tomorrow, and I cannot wait to see how I can help,” he said with sincerity in his voice. Or was Magnus just imagining that?

“Alright, biscuit. I’m going. Maybe I cant get Raphael to fix me some chicken noodle soup.”

“If not,” Clary began carelessly, “I’m sure Jace could since his mom taught him how to cook.”

For a second she didn’t realize what she had said, and when she did? She looked like a deer in headlights, her mouth falling slightly open, and she tried to recover, in case Jonathan hadn’t been paying attention.

“Anyways,” Clary plowed on, “I’m sure someon-”

“How would you know that about Jace?” Jonathan asked in a deadly quiet voice.

“Oh, we just talked one day while Magnus was with Alec. He mentioned it. That’s all,” she tried to soothe. But Jonathan wasn’t being soothed.

“Are you dating him?” Jonathan demanded.

“Dude, no,” Jace said, stepping forward. “We’ve literally had one conversation when Alec was grilling Magnus for information. We’re not dating. I don’t date.”

Jonathan glared at Jace, and then turned his eyes to Clary. They flitted back to Jace.

“So is my sister not good enough to date?” Jonathan demanded.

Jace’s eyebrows shot up.

“No, nothing like that. I’m sure she is wonderful, I just don’t know her. I’m focused on Magnus right now, trying to keep an alibi for him. I’m sure your sister is great, though,” Jace backpedaled.

Jonathan swore and Clary rested a hand on his shoulder. “You’re reading too much into this. One conversation, Jonathan. There’s nothing between us, or me and anyone else,” she soothed, not once glancing at Jace who had his arms crossed and looked the picture of intimidation with his muscles all standing out.

“You would tell me if you met someone special, right Clary?” Jonathan pleaded.

“Of course! You’re the person closest to me in the world. How could I not?” she promised, lying through her teeth but he needn’t know that.

Jonathan nodded and then said, “Clary is right. Go home, Magnus. Take a rest. Clary can lock up. I can do this downstairs so I am not encroaching on your space. I should be done in another thirty minutes.”

He paused and then looked at Jace. “Please keep an eye on him. I wouldn’t be able to stand it if anything else happened to him.”

“Oh, no worries. I will be right there with him every step of the way,” Jace promised, yet it sounded more like a threat.

Everyone left the office, Clary not once glancing at Jace. “Have a good night, Magnus,” she said giving him a hug and heading towards the elevator. Magnus left feeling very uneasy.

Once they were out of the office, Jace pulled out his phone. Probably to call his brother.

“Hey, Alec? So something interesting happened. Come by Magnus’ and I’ll show you the recording. But to sum it up, Jonathan got super pissed when Clary accidentally let slip that was had one conversation. And she left it at that. That we’d been waiting while you talked to Magnus and we had a simple, short conversation. It was like he flipped out for a moment. I’m still not sure he believes I’m not involved with Clary, but it’s definitely something to look at,” Jace explained.

There was silence from Jace for a moment and then he spoke again. “I can send it to you. Get some rest tonight, brother. Tomorrow you question the suspect himself.”

And Magnus felt unease gnawing at his stomach, but after what he’d just seen, he wasn’t sure he could actually rule Jonathan out. And that idea? Well, it scared the hell out of him.


	12. Chapter 12

Alec watched over the clip of the night’s scene with Jonathan at the club. It was disconcerting. He wanted to demand Jace not to play bodyguard anymore. He just had this uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he knew Jace wouldn’t be swayed. He also knew that partly had to do with Clary. Jace had real feelings for this woman. But that was what made Alec so nervous. If Jonathan was capable of murder, and he saw Jace as a threat, would he really hesitate to kill him? Now in a fistfight, Alec knew Jace would win. But in gun combat, if Jonathan already had his gun drawn, would Jace manage to be faster? Alec couldn’t say, and that is what worried him.

Alec sighed and rubbed his face. He needed sleep and relaxation. He needed to be ready tomorrow when Jonathan was surely going to try and mindfuck him. Alec knew better than to allow that to happen. He needed to remain on top of his game. If Jonathan was the murderer, Alec needed to be two steps ahead rather than behind. This was something serious, and if Jace’s life was at stake, Alec knew he’d better do a damn good job.

He hit play on the video again, monitoring Jonathan’s pose. As soon as Clary let slip that she knew something about Jace, Jonathan tensed up. He waited a moment before speaking, and his response was a direct accusation. It didn’t look good, but this alone wasn’t proof of him being capable of murder.

Alec switched over to the nanny cams in Clary’s apartment. Apparently, neither one of them had noticed the cameras, which was an excellent thing. Jonathan was in the living room, sulking on the couch. Clary must have been in her room or bathroom because she wasn’t showing up on the camera. 

“Goddammit!” Jonathan’s voice hissed softly over the speakers. Thank god for audio.

“Why must she test me so?” Jonathan asked. Alec leaned in closer to make sure he caught everything, but Jonathan had finished talking. Or Clary must have gotten out of the shower because suddenly Jonathan was sitting casually on the couch, flipping through tv channels.

Alec knew Jace was monitoring this feed, too. He marked the time down anyone to come back to it and review what was going on. For now, he needed sleep. It was ten o’clock, and Alec had a date with the devil tomorrow morning.

~~~

Alec sat at his desk as Jonathan entered the room, appearing completely calm and at ease in Alec’s office.

“Mr. Morgenstern, good to see you,” Alec said as he stood up and shook Jonathan’s hand.

“Of course, anything I can do to help the case, Mr. Lightwood,” Jonathan said, looking concerned. Was it too concerned? Perhaps he was overacting at this moment in time.

“I want to go over your background completely. I know this is tedious, and sometimes slightly offensive, but I need to make sure that the other attorney cannot dredge up your past and use it as a reason to dismiss your testimony. I’m sure a man of your intelligence understands that,” Alec said after he'd sat back down. Careful flattery would get him everywhere, especially if this man was a sociopath like Alec thought.

“Of course. I want to help the best I can. Anything for Magnus,” Jonathan said.

“Okay, so have you ever been arrested?” Alec asked.

“No, not at all.”

“Traffic tickets?”

Jonathan shook his head.

“I did hear,” Alec began, “that you were a suspect in the death of your mother and father. That’s bound to come up in the courtroom.”

Jonathan tensed. It was apparent Jonathan hadn’t expected Alec to know this. But he did, and from Jonathan’s posture, he could see the other man on guard, wary of answering.

“Well?” Alec asked after thirty seconds of prolonged silence.

“It was an investigation. What happened was tragic, but I have an alibi for every night leading up to a week for their deaths. I was either at work or walking home. The police saw I had no way to be involved,” Jonathan said, trying to take back control of the conversation.

“Of course, I just have to get the details because the other side will be bringing it up. We need to have an iron-clad defense for you. Three nights before the accident, there were fifteen minutes you didn’t have an alibi for. What were you doing that night?” Alec asked.

“I cut through the park and stopped by the lake. It was a rough day, and I just needed some quiet time. The police already investigated and found that no case against me held water. I would never have killed my mother,” he said with a tone of anger in his voice.

“But your father you would have?” Alec asked, latching on to the one thing he had heard that would get them somewhere. 

Jonathan scowled. “What abuse victim wouldn’t wish their abuser dead? Thanks to my dad, I have a display of scars on my back from where he whipped me like I was a slave. That is nothing any man should endure. I held hate for my father, yes, but I didn’t kill him. I was already out of his house by then. It was over, and I had moved on. I loved my mother dearly, and I would never have done anything that could compromise her safety,” Jonathan insisted.

“Of course. I don’t really think you did anything, Mr. Morgenstern. But we have to go over it. I will say you need to be less defensive. Say you loved your father even though he was abusive. Don’t say anything about an abusee wanting their abuser dead.”

Jonathan nodded and took a deep breath before saying, “I’m sorry. It’s just a sensitive topic, as I’m sure you know having worked such high profile cases.”

Alec nodded. “I completely understand. I’m lucky I was never abused, but my adopted brother was, and he came with a lot of issues. I empathize, but I still will never have any idea the kind of pain you went through. Now, do you own a gun?”

Jonathan nodded. “Just a handgun, in case someone tries to break in,” he said casually. 

Alec nodded. “Have you used it recently?” 

“No. I take it out once a week for cleaning, and that’s it. Clary doesn’t even know where it is. It’s a last resort, and thankfully we’ve never had to use it,” Jonathan explained.

“That’s an excellent thing. Now, to get into the meat of why we are here… can you imagine anyone trying to frame Mr. Bane?” Alec asked with curiosity in his voice like this was the real reason why they were supposed to be there. Jonathan immediately relaxed. Gone was the worry and harshness from his face. Everything was okay in his mind.

“Honestly, I’d be looking at the cartel. Magnus has been in business with them for a while to get the good shit at Pandemonium, and they turn on their own. I wouldn’t trust the woman he meets with as far as I could throw her,” Jonathan said.

“What is her name?” Alec asked.

“We don’t get names. Not real ones anyway. And if it IS the cartel and Magnus has been fucked over, he’ll die his first month in prison. No one snitches on the cartel and gets away with it. That’s a big part of the reason I don’t work there. I also don’t want Clary working there, but it seems I have little choice in the matter,” Jonathan said distastefully.

“Is there anyone else you can think of?”

Jonathan shook his head.

“Do you think he did it?” Alec asked.

Jonathan furrowed his brow and paused, trying to display sympathy or empathy or something human. Then he said, “I do. I won’t let Clary alone near him anymore. Magnus would try anything for a bit more publicity. And what’s more scandalous than the headline “Club Owner Framed in Twelve Murders?” I think he overreached. Haven’t you noticed? He hasn’t found a body with Jace around.”

Alec sat there and nodded. He was too stunned to speak. Whereas everyone else had repeated over and over that Magnus wasn’t capable of something like this, Jonathan pointed the finger of blame straight at him. Alec just knew Jonathan had done it and was going to get off scot-free if he could just take down Magnus. But what was the motive?

“Is your sister close to him?” Alec finally asked.

“Unfortunately. I believe he is in love with Clary, but I can assure you the feeling is not mutual.”

And there it was. Motive, brilliant, blinding motive. So this was what Jonathan was so upset over. But why? Magnus wasn’t into Clary, or he’d have had a lot more complaints about Jace being in on his turf. 

“I appreciate your time, Mr. Morgenstern. It has been a most illuminating interview. Those are all the questions I have. I do think you can understand why we might be hesitant to use you as a character witness, but if Magnus really did this, then he needs to pay,” Alec said, watching the smug smile cross Jonathan’s face.

“I couldn’t agree more, Mr. Lightwood.”

~~~

Alec couldn’t believe it. The sonuvabitch was the reason Magnus was facing trial. The only thing Alec could hope to do was trip him up. He would do his best. He had surveillance at his house, and he would monitor him. He needed to pull Jace off being the bodyguard. He had a plan swirling in his mind and damned if he wasn’t going to get the truth out of Jonathan one way or another.

Alec text Jace, telling him to call immediately.

“What’s up?” Jace said as soon as Alec had answered the phone.

“Jonathan did it,” was all Alec could say at first.

“Are you sure? How do you know?”

“Because he thinks Magnus is in love with Clary. He pointed the finger directly at Magnus, saying he was sure Magnus had done it for publicity’s sake,” Alec explained.

Jace took such a deep breath, Alec could hear it over the phone. 

“Then I can’t leave Magnus’ side,” Jace said.

“Actually, you’ll have to. I’ll meet you at Magnus’ in about thirty minutes. Wake his ass up. We got work to do.”

And with that, Alec hung up.

~~~

Alec was there in precisely thirty-one minutes, which kind of pissed him off because he liked to be exactly on time. He knocked in the secret code he and his siblings had and waited for Jace to answer the door.

Jace answered, Magnus making noise in the kitchen. As soon as Alec entered, Jace locked the door behind him.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Jace demanded. “I can’t stop protecting the one guy you might actually have a shot with!”

Alec paused and took a deep breath. “I am not here to talk about that. I have a plan, and if you listen, I think you’ll both agree it’s a great plan.”

“How is Magnus being framed a great idea?” Jace asked as he crossed his arms.

Alec knew he wouldn’t get through to Jace until Jace was willing to listen. So Alec headed to the kitchen and sat down at the table. Magnus joined him, a worried look on his face.

“What do we need to do?” Magnus asked.

Alec sighed. “Here is my plan. Jonathan specifically mentioned that a body hadn’t been found since you’ve had Jace with you. He feels comfortable and confident. He is smug as hell. If you’d seen the look on his face when I said ‘If Magnus did it, he needs to pay for it’ you’d have been outraged. It was like Christmas came early for him. I rely on my gut, and I am telling you, he did this.”

“But why?” Magnus asked.

“He seems to believe you are in love with Clary. He dislikes that she works for you; he says he won’t work for you due to the cartel’s involvement with your business. He sees it as a danger. I’m sure if he could have made Clary stop working for you by now, he would have.”

Magnus rubbed his hand across the stubble on his face. “So what do I need to do?” he asked.

“I need you to ‘fire’ Jace. Jace and I are going to put a nanny cam on you. Now, when he realizes you aren’t being protected, he’ll try to frame you _again_. But we will have video evidence that you couldn’t have done this. This throws the whole case out of whack. If you aren’t the serial killer, then you weren’t responsible for any of the deaths. 

“Now,” Alec continued, “We have the camera’s at Jonathan’s place. He may go straight home after the killing to change clothes. We catch him doing that on camera, and everything bad he says about you turns into dust. I can do this, Magnus. You just have to let me.”

“What will we do with Jace?” Magnus asked. 

“He can do whatever he wants as long as he’s not protecting you. I thought clubbing would be a good place for him. That way, if Jonathan shows up to scope out, Jace is drunk and not paying attention, so it doesn’t look as suspicious. And then we can have Clary dancing with him. Of course, we can’t tell her the plan. Jace will jus show up drunk and hit on her. This will get Jonathan riled up. He won’t know that Jace will also be wearing a nanny cam. So if he tries to frame him, we’ve got him covered too,” Alec explained.

“And what will I be doing?” Magnus asked.

Alec smirked. “You’ll be partying with me. I’m talking we drop acid kind of party. Jonathan will think all the cards are in his favor when we hold the entire deck.”

“It’s risky,” Jace said.

“What’s riskier? Not having enough evidence to keep Magnus from getting Capitol Murder, or rearranging the game board so we can get him off? I doubt anyone will be hurt, although I cannot guarantee it. But we have to take a risk, or this man you’ve been protecting could get the death penalty.”

Jace sagged his head, and Alec knew he had won. He turned back to Magnus, who was nodding. “I’ll do it. We have no other options right now it looks like.”

Alec agreed. If they could just maneuver Jonathan to where they wanted him, then everything would fall into place. Alec was a strategist. He had done this many times. He felt comfortable with this plan. All he needed was for Magnus to feel comfortable, too.

“Alright, so how do we start this plan off?” Magnus asked.

“First, you text Clary and tell her you fired Jace. Then, tomorrow night, we have a party at Pandemonium. Let me work out all the details,” Alec said.

“What do I tell her when she asks why I fired him?” Magnus asked. 

“Tell her that you didn’t like the way he was always in your face, and you just couldn’t take it anymore.”

And just like that, the plan was in motion.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY for the long wait! I have had mental health issues (serious ones), and then I had to pawn my laptop to pay bills. It has been a wild ride, but we are so close to the end!! Trust me, I WANT TO KNOW YOUR REACTIONS TO THIS CHAPTER!!! Happy reading!

Magnus wasn’t sure how to feel. He was nervous, but as he text Clary, he knew this was something he needed to do. Now, if only she’d ever forgive him for what he was going to do to her brother. If everything went as planned, Jonathan would be the suspect instead of Magnus himself.

He sighed and sat at the table. Jace had already removed his stuff from Magnus’ home. He was gone, but he was still viewing the cameras. This little tidbit soothed Magnus’ nerves a teensy bit.

He jumped as his phone rang. It was, of course, Clary. He took a deep breath and pulled himself together before answering.

“Biscuit,” he said by way of greeting.

“What the hell, Magnus?! Why would you fire Jace?!”

She was irate. Oops.

“He was always hovering. I like having my own space. He was just always there. Besides, now you can see him without me being there. But honestly, he just annoyed me. Always talking about you and standing there being all intimidating to everyone. It’s not a good look for me,” Magnus said carelessly.

Clary let out a strangled scream, and Magnus was sure she would have slapped him through the phone if it were possible. She wasn’t just aggravated; she was pissed. And a pissed Clary was _not_ a good sight. Not for anyone.

“Will you be at the club tomorrow, Biscuit? I can have Jace there. Alec is coming too, so if we’re both lucky, we will both get lucky,” he teased.

“Magnus, you are going to trial for twelve murders, and all you can think about is hooking up with a cute guy?” Clary asked shrilly to the point where Magnus had to put the phone a good few inches away from his ear.

“He’s more than just cute, and you know it. He’s delectable. And he will get me off. I have faith in his abilities, and you should, too.”

“Dammit, Magnus! I’ll be at the club tomorrow, and I will walk you home just to make sure you have an alibi. Okay?” she demanded.

“Of course, Biscuit. I look forward to you beating me up for no reason tomorrow after the club.”

And with that, Magnus hung up.

~~~

Alec had interviewed Raphael that day. It had gone well. And once again, the person most likely to commit the murders was Jonathan, at least in Raphael’s eyes. 

But that wasn’t the critical part at the moment. Alec was at Magnus’ putting a nanny cam on him. Jace already had one on him. If everything went well, Clary would have told Jonathan that Magnus no longer had a bodyguard, as she did tend to tell her brother everything. Except that she was constantly texting Jace. That she felt he didn’t need to know, and Alec happened to agree. The man was unstable. Alec had watched last nights’ recording, and Jonathan stood in Clary’s doorway, watching her sleep. It was all levels of creepy. It made Alec uncomfortable just watching it. And then, to make matters worse, he had gone to his room to masturbate. Alec about died of second-hand embarrassment. 

So as far as he could tell, Jonathan was in love with his own sister, and he was going to take out anyone he thought might be a threat. It was highly disturbing, and poor Clary didn’t have a clue. To her, that was just her big brother. But to Jonathan? It went so far beyond that. Incest made Alec… well, uncomfortable wasn’t a strong enough word. It bothered him. A lot. He didn’t like it, but he’d had several cases involving incest that he had had to deal with. It freaked him out.

But now was not the time to worry about that. For now, Alec needed to get himself together. He wasn’t sure how he should dress in the club, so he chose a tank top and jeans since he was sure he would be sweating like crazy. Magnus had proposed the idea of rolling instead of acid, and Alec had no qualms, though he did feel a bit like he was betraying his sister, he knew she wouldn’t have viewed it that way. Now, if he could keep his hands off Magnus tonight, that would be a miracle.

Magnus wasn’t attractive. He was drop-dead gorgeous, and Alec was kidding himself if he said he didn’t want the man. But Alec needed, desperately needed, to wait until this case was over. Because if he didn’t, and they found Magnus guilty at the trial for any reason, Alec knew his heart would shatter. He found Magnus engaging, witty, attractive, and ambitious. Something that Alec hadn’t been able to find in a man all these years. He wouldn’t get involved and let his heart break like that.

“You work out?” Magnus asked him, shocking him out of his thoughts. 

“Yeah, I have a home gym.”

There was an awkward silence in which Alec wanted to kiss Magnus but knew better than to do that. It wasn’t cut and dry. Magnus was his client, so Alec put up the mental wall.

“Shall we?” Magnus asked, and Alec nodded. 

The ride to the club was a short one. The club wasn’t open yet, but people had queued up outside already. Alec was very much aware of the stares he got from both males and females, but that didn’t seem to faze him.

“Magnus!” came Clary’s voice as they stepped into the club. “I ought to beat you with a wooden… oh, Alec, hi. What are you doing here?”

Alec shrugged. “I needed to blow off some steam, and this seemed the perfect place to do it.”

Clary nodded. “Well, since you seem to be here as Magnus’ guest, please keep an eye on him. I’m tired of being the only one concerned with whether or not he lives.”

And with that, Clary trotted away.

“Drink? And a Molly?” Magnus offered, and Alec nodded.

They went to Magnus’ office after they got their drinks. Alec had taken the molly and was waiting to feel the effects. 

“When this is all said and done,” Magnus began, “You should go out on a date with me.”

“Only if you go on a date with me, too,” Alec joked, feeling the molly start to hit in combination with the alcohol.

The club opened up to the public, and even in Magnus’ office, they could hear music blaring. But they sat there talking for at least an hour. Alec found he loved the sound of Magnus’ voice. So deep and soothing. And his eyes. If Alec wasn’t careful, he could get lost in them forever. But maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing…

“Dance with me,” Magnus commanded.

“I’m terrible at dancing.”

“I want you to dance with me,” Magnus said, extending his hand. 

Alec took it. It felt like soft silk, and as Magnus pulled Alec in, Alec smelled the sandalwood soap he used. It was intoxicating. Alec would never be able to remember what song was playing, but the music didn’t matter. He was with Magnus, those amber eyes drilling into his.

Magnus ran fingers across the back of Alec’s neck, and he couldn’t stop the groan that escaped his throat. 

“I’m going to kiss you, Alexander,” Magnus whispered into his ear.

And then he did. He cradled Alec’s face with one hand, the other rubbing circles on the back of Alec’s neck. He tasted like cinnamon whiskey, and Alec deepened the kiss, wanting to fall entirely into Magnus and make them one. Then, Alec was undoing Magnus’ jeans and pulling them down along with his boxers without even thinking about it. 

It had been a long, long time since Alec had given a man a blowjob. He never cared to get that close to someone. A blowjob was intimate. You were swallowing their very essence. But damn, Magnus was different. And shit, did he have a pretty dick. The kind most guys hoped for. It was about average length, maybe a tiny bit bigger, but the girth was wide. He could already tell his jaw muscles were going to be sore, and he couldn’t find it in himself to care.

He started by licking and dragging his tongue up and down Magnus’ dick to lubricate it. Magnus tasted so good. And then Alec tongued the slit, hearing a groan from Magnus that encouraged him. Maybe he hadn’t forgotten how to do this.

He closed his eyes as he began taking Magnus into his mouth, mouth stretched wide, lips over teeth, and the taste of Magnus’ precum in his mouth. He sucked him, enjoying the way Magnus shuddered under his touch. 

Magnus grabbed Alec’s hair, forcing Alec further and further down on his cock, saying things like, “Fuck Alexander, suck my cock just like that,” or, “Feels so good; you were made for this.”

Alec took the praise and took him all the way in, enjoying his strangled groans as Magnus began to fuck his face. 

When Magnus came, Alec swallowed every last drop, sucking the last of it out of Magnus’ pretty cock. He opened his eyes to Magnus, pulling him up and kissing him deeply. And then Magnus said, “Your turn,” and Alec just knew he was going to be stuffed full of cum.

~~~

Jonathan was watching on the balcony. No one seemed to notice him, but he saw everyone else. Alec and Magnus were having sex in Magnus’ office. Maybe Magnus wasn’t the threat. He watched Clary and Jace dance together, Clary laughing and smiling for another man. Didn’t she get it? She was HIS. She had no right to dance with someone like she was having the time of her life. It cut Jonathan to the core. She’d always been his. And here Jace was, interfering. No, Clary had lied to him. She definitely talked to Jace more than once. He could hear her phone ping in the middle of the night. He was sure it was Jace messaging her.

Jonathan knew what he had to do. He took no joy in it. But this couldn’t go on. He and Clary were going to grow old together. He would always take care of her. And one day, she would see, she wanted to be his. Society’s remarks be damned. He would take them far away, to where no one knew them, and they’d start their lives together. She would see in the end that he was right. No man could make her as happy as he could.

He narrowed his eyes as Jace kissed _his_ Clary. No, this had to be dealt with tonight. Jonathan took out his phone and sent a text. He wouldn’t allow this to continue—what a beautiful way to save Magnus and takedown Jace. Alec could have Magnus. They did make a cute couple… And he would be there to comfort Clary when she learned that Jace had been the murderer all along. It was perfect.

His phone vibrated in his hand. And this would get this bitch who thought she was worthy of him out of the way. It was too good to be true. Jonathan kept watching the club, waiting for the right moment.

~~~

Clary was having a blast. She and Jace were dancing, and it was beautiful. His golden hair reminded her of an angel’s halo. He was handsome and charming. She already knew she’d have to tell her brother that Jace was there to stay. He wouldn’t like it, but surely he would respect her wishes.

Jace spun her around as they danced to Beautiful People. She felt so alive and happy. No drugs or alcohol were needed. She was alive and happy, truly alive, and content at this moment. If she could capture her feelings in a painting right now, it would be the most vibrant portrait ever done. It would be stunning. Everyone was gorgeous, the night was perfect, and nothing could ruin it for Clary as she pulled Jace in for a kiss, and he tangled one of his hands in her hair.

_This must be what love feels like,_ Clary thought. And then both of Jace’s hands were in her hair, and they were all that existed in the world. It was nirvana.

~~~

She got the text from Jonathan. It was all she needed to hear. She would take care of this, and Jonathan would see that _she_ was the one who loved him most. Then she would get rid of Clary, and she would be the one Jonathan turned to get over his dear sister.

She took the two water bottles she had and injected from the cap a hallucinogenic. The other was for Clary. Clary would go to “talk” to her brother. And she would drag Jace away and set up a murder scene. He’d be so fucked up he wouldn’t realize what was happening. It would be perfect. She still had to work out how to kill Clary, but that would come in time. For now, it was Jace she was focused on.

She approached the couple, thrust the drugged water into Jace’s hands, and the non-drugged one into Clary’s hand.

“Your brother is on the balcony,” she shouted in Clary’s ear, so she was heard, “He wants to talk to you.”

Clary sighed but nodded, apologizing to Jace and saying she would be back. And Jace had already drunk some of the water.

“Let’s sit down outside and wait on Clary!” she shouted, and Jace nodded, following her out of the club. 

She guided him to the alleyway, and they leaned against the wall, Jace still drinking his water. He wasn’t bad to look at, but he was definitely no Jonathan.

After she pulled her phone and feigned sending a message, she said, “I just told Jonathan to tell Clary where we are. That way, she can find you. Hey, you okay?”

Jace was stumbling around. “What did you do to me?” he demanded.

“Nothing! Are you high or something? Here, let me get you a cab; you need to sleep this off.”

The plan went perfectly. She guided him to the main street, him leaning heavily on her. She took him to the docks, and he was too fucked up to notice when she pulled his gun that he kept on him at all times out. 

She felt a thrill go through her. One step closer to Jonathan. She didn’t even hear the gun click behind her as someone aimed at her and shot her in the head.


End file.
